DC's R-Rated Batman Spin-Off Clayface Officially Removed From 1,000 Theaters

Having recently passed what is likely its final box-office milestone, DC's new R-rated horror movie is on its way out of theaters. The movie will reportedly debut digitally after the first week of December, which gives it around three weeks to make the most of its remaining theatrical run. The film's release came at a particularly precarious period for DC Studios, and things have changed drastically in the weeks since its release. A few days ago, fans were met with the shocking news that co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran had been replaced after four years, leaving their planned slate in a state of flux.

In that regard, Clayface is lucky to have made it to theaters. The film began its journey as a spin-off to Matt Reeves' The Batman, with Mike Flanagan attached to write and direct, but was looped into the DC Universe and ultimately helmed by James Watkins. Reeves' universe continued with a sequel to The Batman and its spin-off television series The Penguin. There was also the third independent DC-related project in the form of Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Gunn said that the long-term plan for the franchise doesn't rely on an interconnected universe. The series' previous iteration, the DC Extended Universe, was criticized for rushing toward a team-up film in the vein of Marvel's The Avengers. It remains to be seen if the franchise is rebooted once again after Gunn and Safran's departure.

Here's How Much 'Clayface' Has Grossed at the Box Office So Far

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Clayface remains mostly unconnected to the larger DC Universe, mainly because its version of Batman hadn't yet been introduced. The movie opened to mostly positive reviews from both critics and audiences. It's now sitting at a "Certified Fresh" 77% critics' score and a "Verified Hot" 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes — incredibly high for a body horror film. The aggregator website'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."

The movie, starring Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan, debuted in more than 3,400 theaters three weeks ago. It'll enter its fourth week of release having lost more than 1,000 locations nationwide so far. Clayface has so far grossed $111 million worldwide against a reported budget of $40 million.