Clayface won its opening weekend, but only just under what forecasters expected. The Numbers lists $24.0 million from 3,458 theaters, about $6,940 per theater, and Wikipedia gives $24.5 million. Weekend figures are usually revised on Monday, so both are best read as "about $24 million."
The more interesting number is the grade audiences gave it: an A− on CinemaScore.
How It Compared With the Forecasts
Before release, Box Office Pro and TheWrap both pointed to $25 to $30 million domestically. Wikipedia reports Variety's projection as $25 to $35 million domestic, $20 to $25 million international, and $45 to $55 million worldwide. One lower tracking estimate, reported by Bam Smack Pow, was $15 to $20 million.
Against those, here is where it landed:
- Domestic: about $24 million, roughly a million below the low end of the main forecasts and well above the lowest tracking.
- International: $22.5 million as of Sunday, inside the projected range.
- Worldwide: $46.5 million, also inside the projected range.
Wikipedia lists the budget at $30 to $44 million. A three-day worldwide total above that range is a reasonable start, but theaters keep a share of ticket sales and marketing costs are not in the budget figure, so it does not show profit.
What the Audience Told Us
Wikipedia reports:
- CinemaScore: A−.
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75% from 161 reviews, an average of 6.6 out of 10.
- Metacritic: 59 from 44 critics, "mixed or average."
- Opening-weekend audience: 73% aged 18 to 34.
Critics and audiences are not saying the same thing. Critics are split. The audience that bought tickets is happier than the Metacritic score suggests.
That matters because the exit-poll grade is the best early guess of how a film holds in its second weekend. For comparison, Verity opened to $32 million with a C+ and then fell 63%, as we covered. An A− is a much better sign, though no one can promise the drop will be small.
The second weekend also brings new competition. Our earlier guides to Godzilla Minus Zero and Wild Horse Nine cover two films opening on November 6.
The Rest of the Top Five
| Rank | Film | Weekend | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayface | $24.0M | New |
| 2 | You Can See Everything | $19.5M | +25% |
| 3 | Wildwood | $11.0M | New |
| 4 | Street Fighter | $8.6M | −72% |
| 5 | Wicker | $5.75M | New |
Figures are from The Numbers' weekend chart.
The surprise is number two. You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder's documentary, grew 25% in its second weekend and now has about $45.1 million in total. A rise in the second weekend is unusual. We covered its opening in a separate analysis. Street Fighter, which opened to about $30.8 million a week earlier, fell 72% to $8.6 million.
In our own data, Clayface's TMDb popularity score rose from 74.4 on October 21 to 267.5 on October 26.
Editorial Take: A number slightly under forecast and a grade clearly above average is an unusual pair, and it points to a film that is better received than it was marketed. If the A− holds, Clayface has a chance to behave like a word-of-mouth horror release rather than a front-loaded franchise one. Watch the weekday numbers and the second-weekend drop before calling it a hit. One weekend of data is a start, not a verdict.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Clayface make opening weekend? About $24 million domestically, per The Numbers ($24.0 million) and Wikipedia ($24.5 million), and $46.5 million worldwide as of Sunday.
Was Clayface a box office success? It was number one, but just under most pre-release forecasts for the domestic opening. Its international total landed inside projections. A fuller judgment needs the second weekend.
What CinemaScore did Clayface get? A−, per Wikipedia.
What are the Clayface reviews? 75% on Rotten Tomatoes from 161 reviews and 59 on Metacritic from 44 critics, per Wikipedia. Both can change.
How much did Clayface cost? $30 to $44 million, according to Wikipedia, citing The Hollywood Reporter.
What beat Clayface at the box office? Nothing. It was number one, ahead of You Can See Everything at $19.5 million.
Box office and review figures come from the sources linked above and can change. Popularity figures are Incoming's snapshots of TMDb's score. Tracking what arrives next across movies, TV, games, music and books at incoming.to.