Clayface Box Office Global Debut Puts DCU Horror Movie On The Right Track

2026’s Clayface, which was directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Hossein Amini and Mike Flanagan and stars Tom Rhys Harries as the titular shape-shifting DC Comics villain, is the third installment in the newly rebranded DC Universe after the 2025 hit Superman and the 2026 box office bomb Supergirl. While Supergirl flailed, earning $126.4 million worldwide this summer against a reported budget of $170 million or more, the DCU has already scored a hit in the meantime thanks to the popular HBO series Lanterns.

Per Warner Bros., as of Sunday morning, Clayface is projected to close out its global opening weekend with a 3-day gross of $43 million, comprising $24 million from domestic theaters (where it is set to take No. 1 over the documentary holdover hit You Can See Everything) and an additional $19 million from international markets.

While this marks the lowest global debut for any installment in the franchise so far, the movie also has the lowest budget by far with a reported $44 million. This means that after just three days in theaters, it is just $1 million away from earning its budget back. Below, see how Clayface‘s debut compares to the previous DCU movies:

This actually marks the closest that any DCU movie has come to earning back its budget during its global debut. Although Superman earned more than five times what Clayface earned, the James Gunn movie reportedly cost $225 million to make, which means that it fell $5 million short of hitting that number during its opening weekend. Meanwhile, Supergirl fell more than $100 million short of its slightly lower budget during its own opening weekend.

Because theaters keep half of ticket sales and publicity costs aren’t factored into production budgets, a movie earning back its budget doesn’t equate to it breaking even. Generally, the rule of thumb is that a movie needs to earn back two and a half times its budget, which could place Clayface‘s estimated break-even point somewhere around $110 million. However, it should be on track to hit that benchmark and then some by the end of its run.

Clayface reviews have been quite strong, earning it a Certified Fresh score of 75% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes with a Verified Hot score of 94% from audiences as well as a CinemaScore of A-. This evens out to about the same level of reception as Superman (83% from critics, 90% from audiences, and an A- CinemaScore), and if it has a similar trajectory to the 2025 movie, it could ultimately earn about $120 million by the end of its run.

Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Sign in to claim your place on the leaderboard!

Sign in to claim your place on the leaderboard!

While Clayface seems likely to end up in the black, the fact that it may not do so by a wide margin means that the burgeoning DCU is still on somewhat shaky ground in theaters. While the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow (out July 9, 2027) could very well provide an influx of cash, it remains to be seen how other non-Superman movies in the franchise fare, including in-development titles such as James Mangold’s Swamp Thing. If they have diminishing returns, the franchise may have to retrench and find a new direction in theaters.

Enjoy ScreenRant’s box office coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly box office newsletter (make sure to check “Box Office” in your preferences) and get exclusive analysis, predictions, and more:

Clayface

Gotham actor Matt Hagen’s rising star is destroyed when a local crime boss leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate to regain his former life, Matt undergoes an experimental treatment that restores his appearance but transforms his body into malleable clay. Now able to reshape himself into other people, Hagen sets off on an increasingly violent campaign of revenge against the ones he holds responsible for his fate.