Clayface box office has crossed 100 million dollars worldwide. The R-rated body horror film from Warner Bros. and DC Studios reached the mark in its third weekend in cinemas, after a strong hold from Nov 6 to 8, 2026. Trade estimates put the worldwide total at about 109 million dollars, with 56.6 million dollars from North America and 52.4 million dollars from international markets. The film cost about 40 to 44 million dollars to make before prints and advertising, and trade analysts put the level needed for theatrical profitability at about 100 million dollars in worldwide ticket sales. Crossing that line in only three weekends makes Clayface a clear commercial success for DC.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Film | Clayface |
| Studio | Warner Bros. and DC Studios |
| Director | James Watkins |
| Screenplay | Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini |
| Lead actor | Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen |
| Cinema release date | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Production budget | About 40 to 44 million dollars |
| Opening weekend worldwide | 43 million dollars |
| Domestic total after third weekend | 56.6 million dollars |
| International total after third weekend | 52.4 million dollars |
| Worldwide total after third weekend | About 109 million dollars |
| CinemaScore | A-minus |
| Markets still to open | Australia on Nov 12, United Kingdom on Nov 20 |
Clayface Box Office: The Third Weekend Numbers
The third weekend is where Clayface proved it has real staying power. From Nov 6 to 8, 2026, the film earned 6.675 million dollars in North America, a drop of 39.3 percent from the previous weekend. That is a gentle fall for a horror film, a genre where second and third weekend drops of 60 percent or more are common. The film played in 2,946 theaters, which shows that cinemas are still giving it plenty of screens three weeks after release.
International markets added 13.5 million dollars that same weekend. That took the international total to 52.4 million dollars and the worldwide total to about 109 million dollars, according to Graphic Policy citing The Numbers. An earlier estimate on Nov 6 had put the worldwide total at 98.4 million dollars, with 52 million dollars domestic and 46.4 million dollars international. Box office analyst Gitesh Pandya believed the film had already crossed 100 million dollars by the end of the weekend, and the final weekend numbers confirmed that view.
The weekend itself belonged to a new arrival. Godzilla Minus Zero topped the Nov 6 to 8 weekend with a 31.6 million dollar domestic opening. Clayface did not need to win the weekend to win the story, and holding third place with a drop under 40 percent while a giant new release took the top spot is exactly the kind of steady run that builds a profitable total. Readers who want the full picture of that big opening weekend can read our report on Godzilla Minus Zero and its record 31.6 million dollar opening.
A Strong Start That Never Fell Apart
Clayface opened in cinemas on Oct 23, 2026, and it opened big. The first weekend, Oct 23 to 25, brought in 24 million dollars domestically and 43 million dollars worldwide, enough to take the No. 1 spot in North America. For an R-rated horror film built around a lesser known DC character, that was a strong start. The opening showed that audiences were curious about a superhero story told as a horror film, and that curiosity turned into ticket sales right away.
The second weekend tested whether that curiosity would last. The film earned about 10.4 million dollars domestically, a drop of roughly 54 to 57 percent, for an 83 million dollar worldwide total. It lost the No. 1 spot on the Halloween weekend to the A24 documentary You Can See Everything by only about 200,000 dollars. Losing by such a small margin on a holiday weekend is almost a win in itself, and it showed that the film was still drawing crowds two weeks in.
The pattern across the three weekends tells a clear story. The opening was strong, the second weekend held well enough, and the third weekend drop of 39.3 percent was the smallest fall yet. Horror films usually fade fast after opening weekend, because the core audience rushes out first. Clayface has done the opposite, losing less ground each weekend, which points to positive word of mouth and repeat viewing from fans of the genre.
The A-minus CinemaScore supports that reading. CinemaScore polls opening night audiences, and an A-minus is rare for a horror film, which usually scores in the B range or lower because the genre is built to unsettle people. An A-minus means audiences left the cinema feeling the film delivered what it promised, and that kind of reaction is what keeps a film earning in week three.
A Record for Body Horror
With its second weekend total of 83 million dollars, the Clayface box office passed The Substance to become the highest grossing pure body horror movie of all time. The Substance was an award winning film that became a talking point in its own right, so passing it is a meaningful mark. It puts Clayface at the top of a small but respected corner of horror cinema, the films that use the changing human body as their central fear.
The story itself fits that tradition well. Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, an actor whose body transforms in strange and painful ways. The film is directed by James Watkins, from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. Flanagan is known for thoughtful horror, and the combination of his writing with Watkins directing gave the film a serious tone that set it apart from a standard comic book movie.
The success also stands out in a crowded month. Other films are holding well around the world too, including big international titles drawing strong crowds in their own markets. Our report on Ramayana and its day five worldwide box office shows how another major release is performing at the same time. Clayface is not the only film finding an audience in November, but it is the one that has turned a modest budget into a record breaking run.
What the 100 Million Dollar Mark Means for DC
Crossing 100 million dollars matters for a simple reason. Trade analysts put the level needed for theatrical profitability at about 100 million dollars in worldwide ticket sales. A film that cost about 40 million dollars to make, before prints and advertising, needs to clear that line to be seen as a money maker in cinemas. Clayface has now done that with weeks of its run still ahead.
That is good news for DC Studios, because Clayface was a risk. It is an R-rated horror film built around a villain most casual moviegoers would not name. It does not have the safety of a Batman or Superman logo on the poster. A film like this works only if the idea is strong and the audience trusts the studio to deliver something worth seeing. The numbers say that trust was there.
There is also a longer term point. Horror has been one of the most reliable genres at the box office in recent years, because it is cheap to make and its audience is loyal. Clayface shows that a comic book character can work inside that genre without losing what makes the character interesting. The film keeps the DC connection, but it is a horror film first, and audiences have responded to that honesty.
More Markets Still to Come
One of the most encouraging facts for Clayface is that its run is not finished around the world. The film has not opened everywhere yet. Australia is set for Nov 12 and the United Kingdom for Nov 20. Both are strong markets for horror, and both should add meaningful totals to the worldwide figure in the weeks ahead.
The Australian opening comes first, on Nov 12, and it will give an early sign of how the film plays in English speaking markets outside North America.
November is a busy month at the cinema, with big titles arriving every week. Our November 2026 movies guide, covering Godzilla, Dune, and the Hunger Games lays out what is coming and when. Clayface is not winning because the calendar is empty. It is winning while the competition is at its strongest, and if it holds the same way in Australia and the United Kingdom, the final worldwide total could climb well past 109 million dollars.
How much has Clayface made at the worldwide box office?
Trade estimates put the worldwide total at about 109 million dollars after the Nov 6 to 8 weekend, with 56.6 million dollars domestic and 52.4 million dollars international. An earlier estimate on Nov 6 had the total at 98.4 million dollars, and analyst Gitesh Pandya believed it had already passed 100 million dollars by the end of the weekend.
Is Clayface profitable?
Trade analysts put the level needed for theatrical profitability at about 100 million dollars in worldwide ticket sales. With a production budget of about 40 to 44 million dollars before prints and advertising, crossing 100 million dollars in three weekends puts the film in profitable territory, with more markets still to open.
What is the highest grossing pure body horror movie of all time?
Clayface is now the highest grossing pure body horror movie of all time. It passed The Substance when its worldwide total reached 83 million dollars in its second weekend, and it has kept growing since then.
When does Clayface open in Australia and the United Kingdom?
Australia is set for Nov 12, 2026, and the United Kingdom is set for Nov 20, 2026. Both openings should add to the worldwide total in the weeks ahead.
Sources
Final Thoughts
Clayface has done something few people expected from an R-rated horror film about a lesser known DC villain. It opened strong, held well, set a record for its genre, and crossed 100 million dollars worldwide in three weekends. The A-minus CinemaScore shows audiences liked what they saw, and the steady weekend drops show they told their friends.
With Australia and the United Kingdom still to open, the story is not finished. The film has already covered its costs and passed the mark trade analysts use for profitability. DC took a chance on horror, and the box office has answered.
