Clayface Movie: Release Date, Cast, Reviews and Box Office
DC Studios' R-rated horror film Clayface opened at No. 1 with about $24 million. Here is the cast, the spoiler-free setup, and what critics and audiences are saying so far.
- DC Studios' R-rated horror film Clayface opened in US theaters on October 23, 2026, and debuted at No. 1 with about $24 million.
- Critics are mostly positive but split, with 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic as of October 26; Tom Rhys Harries draws wide praise.
- Audiences are warmer (A- CinemaScore, 94% Popcornmeter), and its $43M to $46.5M global start compares with a reported $40M to $44M budget.
DC Studios' Clayface opened in US theaters on October 23, 2026, and took No. 1 at the weekend box office with about $24 million in the US and Canada. Critics are mostly positive but split. As of October 26, 2026, the film holds a 76% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 59 ("mixed or average") on Metacritic, while audience scores run much higher.
Below is what is confirmed about the release, cast and story setup, followed by a summary of how critics and ticket buyers have responded. We have not seen the film. Everything about its reception comes from the published reviews, audience polling and box office reports linked in this article.
When did Clayface come out?
Warner Bros. released Clayface wide in North America on Friday, October 23, 2026, in 3,458 theaters, according to Box Office Mojo. Thursday preview screenings ran the night before. The film had its premiere in Los Angeles on October 13, according to Wikipedia's summary of the production.
October was not the original plan. The film was first dated for September 11, 2026, and was moved in February to sit closer to Halloween. That fits the pitch: when advance tickets went on sale, Rue Morgue described it as DC Studios' first horror movie, and producer James Gunn said in a featurette that the team was "making a true horror film."
The MPA rated it R for strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity and brief drug use. It runs 108 minutes, according to The Numbers and Rotten Tomatoes.
Who is in the Clayface cast, and who made it?
James Watkins, the British director of Eden Lake and the 2024 Speak No Evil, directed the film. Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini share screenplay credit, with Flanagan credited for the story, according to SYFY Wire and Wikipedia. Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran are producers.
- Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, the actor who becomes Clayface
- Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlyn Corr, the scientist behind his experimental treatment
- Max Minghella as John Borrelli, a Gotham detective engaged to Corr
- David Dencik as Markos Szabo, a Gotham mobster
- Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James in supporting roles
Reeves has a producer credit, but Clayface is part of Gunn and Safran's DC Universe, not the world of Reeves' The Batman. SYFY Wire reports that it shares continuity with Superman, Supergirl, Creature Commandos and the second season of Peacemaker. When SYFY Wire asked about a Batman appearance, Harries said he could not discuss it, so treat any Batman cameo talk as unconfirmed.
What is Clayface about? (No major spoilers)
The setup comes from the studio's synopsis, as summarised by SYFY Wire and Rue Morgue. Matt Hagen is a Gotham kid who made it as a Hollywood leading man. A local crime boss slashes his face, and his career collapses along with the support of the people around him.
Desperate, he agrees to a fringe medical treatment that restores his looks. It also turns his body into something closer to soft clay than flesh and starts to erode his grip on reality. The film follows his descent into a revenge spiral, with themes of lost identity, a toxic romance and scientific ambition gone wrong.
Watkins has compared the tone to David Cronenberg's The Fly, per SYFY Wire. Variety's critic notes that Flanagan's story takes only loose inspiration from the comic-book origin, so long-time Batman readers should not expect a faithful adaptation.
What critics are saying about Clayface
Reviews arrived on October 21. Rotten Tomatoes first showed 73% from 74 reviews, just under the 75% needed for Certified Fresh, ComicBookMovie.com reported. The film later gained Certified Fresh status. As of October 26 the page shows 76% from 164 reviews. Metacritic's weighted score is 59 from 44 critics: 23 positive, 18 mixed and 3 negative.
The Rotten Tomatoes consensus argues that the film is slow to start but grows into a gross and gratifying revenge thriller with its own identity inside the DCU.
What reviewers praised
- Tom Rhys Harries. Rotten Tomatoes' round-up of first reviews found nearly every critic admired the lead performance, including those who disliked the film. The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck called the film "one of the year's big surprises."
- Practical gore. In Variety, Guy Lodge wrote that "right down to its grisly practical makeup effects, it's a pleasing throwback," comparing it to 1990s horror like Darkman.
- A standalone feel. Lodge argued it is the most interesting DCU film so far, partly because it needs no franchise homework. The Associated Press's Mark Kennedy praised its "charming low-rent vibe," as quoted on Metacritic.
- Naomi Ackie. Several critics singled her out as the emotional core of the story.
What reviewers criticised
- Script and pacing. IndieWire's Kate Erbland wrote that the film "confounds much more than it compels," and CBR's reviewer called the script uneven.
- Effects and setting. Some critics found the CGI weak and noted that the full monster look appears only briefly. USA Today's Brian Truitt called its Gotham "a pedestrian place with almost no personality."
- The harshest reviews. Rolling Stone's David Fear scored it 20 out of 100 on Metacritic's scale and compared it to eating a handful of flavourless modelling clay.
How Clayface compares with other DC films
Within Gunn's DCU, 76% is respectable but on the low side. ComicBookMovie.com's comparison lists Superman at 83%, Lanterns at 91%, Creature Commandos at 93% and Peacemaker season two at 94%. Only this summer's Supergirl, at 52%, scored lower.
Against other villain-led films, it looks better. CBR noted that it debuted as the best-reviewed solo Batman-villain movie yet, ahead of Joker (68%), Joker: Folie à Deux (31%) and 2004's Catwoman (8%).
How audiences are reacting
Ticket buyers have been kinder than critics. Opening audiences gave the film an A- CinemaScore, the same grade Superman received, according to Cosmic Book News and Wikipedia. On Rotten Tomatoes, the verified-audience Popcornmeter is 94%, and Metacritic users rate it 7.4 out of 10.
The crowd skewed young. Both Wikipedia and Cosmic Book News report that 73% of opening-weekend viewers were aged 18 to 34.
Clayface box office so far
Box Office Mojo's weekend estimate is $24 million in the US and Canada, enough for first place ahead of A24's You Can See Everything ($19.5 million) and Laika's Wildwood ($11.6 million), as UPI and Seat42F reported. Deadline's estimate, cited by Cosmic Book News, was slightly higher at $24.5 million. Final figures may shift when actuals are published.
By day, the film made about $10.6 million on Friday (including $3.5 million from Thursday previews), $7.8 million on Saturday and $5.6 million on Sunday, according to Box Office Mojo and The Numbers.
The worldwide picture depends on the source. Box Office Mojo lists $19 million from international markets for a $43 million global opening. The Numbers shows $22.5 million overseas and $46.5 million worldwide.
Is Clayface a hit?
That depends on cost. The Numbers lists a $40 million production budget, while Deadline's reporting, cited by Dark Horizons and Cosmic Book News, puts it at $44 million before marketing. Cosmic Book News estimates the film needs roughly $110 million worldwide to break even once promotion is included. That is an outlet estimate, not a studio figure.
The opening also landed below the studio's own hopes of $25 million to $35 million domestically, per Cosmic Book News. For comparison, Supergirl opened to $37.1 million this summer.
Our take
Based on the reviews and numbers above, Clayface looks like a mid-budget experiment that partly worked. Critics are split on the script, but they largely agree it feels different from a standard superhero film, and audiences are responding better than reviewers.
The next test is the second weekend. Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31, which could help a horror title or thin out moviegoing. A modest drop would suggest the strong audience scores are spreading by word of mouth. It also faces Laika's Wildwood this month, and Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday looms in December.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Clayface movie come out?
Clayface opened in US and Canadian theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026, after Thursday previews on October 22. It premiered in Los Angeles on October 13. The film was originally dated for September 11, 2026, before being moved closer to Halloween.
Is Clayface connected to The Batman with Robert Pattinson?
No. Although Matt Reeves is a producer, Clayface is set in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe alongside Superman and Supergirl. Whether Batman appears has not been confirmed by the studio or cast.
Is Clayface rated R?
Yes. The MPA rated it R for strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity and brief drug use. It runs 108 minutes and is pitched as body horror, so it is not aimed at younger viewers.
How much has Clayface made at the box office?
As of October 26, 2026, estimates put its US and Canada opening at $24 million to $24.5 million, good for No. 1. Worldwide estimates range from $43 million (Box Office Mojo) to $46.5 million (The Numbers).
Can I stream Clayface yet?
Not as of October 26, 2026. It is playing in theaters only, and none of the release listings we reviewed include an announced digital or streaming date.
Sources
- Clayface (film), Wikipedia
- Clayface, Rotten Tomatoes
- Clayface First Reviews: Tom Rhys Harries Shines in a Messy but Distinctive DC Horror Story, Rotten Tomatoes Editorial
- Clayface (2026) reviews, Metacritic
- Clayface, Box Office Mojo
- Clayface (2026) - Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers
- 'Clayface' tops North American box office with $24M, UPI
- 'Clayface' Wins Box Office With $24.5M, But There's a Problem, Cosmic Book News
- Batman's New R-Rated Villain Movie Scores a Rare Rotten Tomatoes Record, CBR
- 'Clayface' Review: Good, Gross Fun, With No Franchise Homework Required, Variety Australia
- Is DC's Clayface Movie Set in The Robert Pattinson Universe? Everything To Know, SYFY Wire
- Tickets Now on Sale for DC Studios' CLAYFACE, Its First Horror Movie, Rue Morgue
- UPDATE: Clayface Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed, ComicBookMovie.com
- Clayface Opens to $24 Million to Lead the Weekend Box Office, Seat42F
- Box-Office: Clayface Solid, Wildwood Struggles, Dark Horizons
How we wrote this
GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 15 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 26, 2026, and we update the post when they change.
