DC Psychological Thriller Clayface Removed From 532 Theaters in Third Week

While it hasn't exactly performed like a regular superhero movie at the box office, the latest installment of the DC Universe is meeting the expectations of its genre. Whether this qualifies as a success for the brand remains to be seen, but for the DC Universe to experiment so early in its run is worth commending. Instead of building toward an Avengers-like mega-budget crossover event, the franchise has so far produced disparate films and shows across genres. The results have been hit or miss, with James Gunn's Superman reboot doing solid business but the Supergirl movie bombing terribly.

Following the disappointing performance of Supergirl this summer, all eyes were on the third feature installment of the franchise. The movie in question has spent two weeks in release, which means that it experienced its first drop in theater count this week. Because the movie wasn't front-loaded like most horror offerings, in addition to a positive reception from both critics and audiences, the decline has been rather controlled. For instance, Supergirl — directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock — was removed from 1,100 theaters in its third week.

Produced on a reported budget of more than $180 million, the film ended its global run with $125 million. It received mixed reviews and is now sitting at a 52% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Alcock will reportedly return as the character in next year's Man of Tomorrow, starring David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Directed by Gunn, the third installment in the DCU's Superman saga will be released in July 2027.

Here's How Much the Movie Has Grossed at the Box Office

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The franchise's latest installment, of course, is Clayface. Designed as a comparatively lean anti-hero spin-off in the vein of Joker, the movie received positive reviews and is now sitting at a "Certified Fresh" 78% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. More impressively, the film's audience score on the aggregator is perched at a "Verified Hot" 94% — extremely rare for the horror genre. The site's consensus reads, "Carving out a unique identity for itself in the DCU while closely resembling a litany of body horror classics, Clayface takes time to get going until it eventually morphs into an icky and satisfying revenge thriller."

Having debuted in 3,478 theaters two weeks ago, Clayface lost 532 theaters this week. It's heading into its third week of release with $92 million in the bank globally against a reported budget of $44 million, playing in 3,946 theaters. Starring Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan, the movie was directed by James Watkins.