Clayface pre-sales are significantly lower than notorious DC flop Supergirl at the same stage.
While some numbers have been doing the rounds on social media, those over at Box Office Theory – typically far more accurate than most – have Clayface flagging 80% behind Supergirl at the same stage, just over a week from release.
Its nearest competition, Resident Evil, also served far better – with Clayface 66% behind those current pre-sales. That sets it up for a $20 million opening weekend domestically. By comparison, Supergirl made around $38 million in the US on opening weekend.
Of course, there is an important caveat to be made: Clayface isn't a big-budget summer blockbuster in the vein of a Superman or Supergirl.
Its reported $40 million budget pales in comparison to its fellow DCU big-screen cousins, with only a halfway-decent opening weekend needed worldwide to race past those numbers.
Notable, too, is the fact that horror fans rarely buy pre-sale tickets in the same way superhero audiences crash websites and snap up seats in their droves weeks – or months, in the case of Avengers: Doomsday – before release.
Success for Clayface looks very different to success (or lack thereof) with Supergirl. The body horror affair could also be backloaded in a similar way to 2026's breakout hits Obsession and Backrooms if the quality is there.
So, no, it's not a complete disaster – but the powers-that-be at DC Studios will be hoping Clayface transforms into a word-of-mouth success after what is fast looking like a more middling opening weekend than expected.
Clayface follows the story of Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), an actor cursed with the ability to transform his body into living clay after being disfigured.
But that shape-shifting skillset isn't dampening Rhys Harries' DCU aspirations. With Batman casting a long shadow over the film, it appears he has the Caped Crusader in his sights.
"Yeah I could take Batman out," Rhys Harries told SFX magazine. "Clayface is so overpowered comparative to Batman. I can become anyone. I can become anything. Once Matt gains control over his powers then you're in a space where you're like, 'What do you want to use these for'."
Clayface will release on October 23. For more, check out the DCU Chapter One projects still in the works.
