‘Clayface’ opens at the top of the North American box office
· BehindLines newsroom
The horror film “Clayface”, produced by DC Studios and released by Warner Bros., took first place at the North American box office in its opening weekend, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October. Estimates released on Sunday put its takings at about $24 million from 3,458 cinemas in the United States and Canada, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Deadline reports a figure slightly above that mark.
The result lands just below the $25 million to $30 million range the studio had initially projected. Outside North America the film added about $19 million from 76 markets, for a global start of close to $43 million, says the Xinhua news agency, citing industry estimates. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an “A-” grade, a fairly warm reception for a horror title, a genre that cinemagoers often rate less generously.
A bet on a lesser-known character
Directed by Britain’s James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, “Clayface” centres on a Batman villain who has so far stayed in the background. Its release, first set for 11 September, had been pushed back to 23 October, closer to Halloween. Budget figures quoted in the press differ from one outlet to another, but all are modest by superhero-film standards.
In second place, “You Can See Everything”, a documentary directed by Nathan Fielder about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, earned about $19.5 million in its second weekend. Unusually, its takings rose by roughly 25 per cent compared with its first weekend, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The new release “Wildwood” completed the top three.
What it changes
For Warner Bros. and DC Studios, the opening supports the idea of cheaper films built around second-tier characters, alongside the big tentpole productions. For cinema operators, the pairing of a genre film with a documentary that is growing shows audiences turning out for a varied slate. How “Clayface” holds up over the Halloween weekend will show whether this start turns into a lasting success.