'Clayface' tops box office; 'You Can See Everything' up 25%

A body-horror villain story beat a three-hour documentary for first place at the North American box office this weekend, but the documentary may be the bigger story.

"Clayface," the Batman-universe horror film from Warner Bros. and DC Studios, opened at No. 1 with about $24 million from 3,458 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates reported Sunday by the Associated Press. Deadline, which tracks daily grosses, put the opening at $24.5 million in its Sunday report. All weekend figures are estimates, and actual numbers are expected Monday.

Close behind in second place was "You Can See Everything," A24's documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. It earned an estimated $19.5 million in its second weekend, more than it made in its first, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which called that rare.

How did "Clayface" do?

By superhero-movie standards, a $24 million opening is modest. By the standards of this movie's budget, it's a solid start, several outlets reported.

"Clayface" cost a reported $44 million to produce, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and AP. That's a fraction of what DC spent on "Supergirl," which AP and Variety reported grossed about $126 million worldwide this summer on a $170 million production budget. The Hollywood Reporter said the "Clayface" opening landed just under the studio's initial projection of $25 million to $30 million. Variety put the studio's expectations at $25 million to $35 million.

The film added $19 million from 76 international markets, Variety and THR reported, for a worldwide start of about $43 million.

Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan, "Clayface" stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising movie star who undergoes an experimental procedure after his face is disfigured. Naomi Ackie co-stars as a scientist. AP described it as the third theatrical release for DC under co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Audiences liked it. Moviegoers gave "Clayface" an A- on CinemaScore exit polls, a high grade for a horror film, AP and Deadline reported. Deadline noted that Gunn pointed out on Threads that only a handful of horror films have earned that grade. As of Sunday, the film held a 75% critics score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Deadline, citing audience research from PostTrak, reported that 73% of opening-weekend moviegoers were between 18 and 34 and that Hispanic and Latino moviegoers made up about 35% of the audience. Premium large-format screens delivered close to half of the weekend gross, Deadline reported.

"Clayface is a great example of studios taking chances," Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, told AP, pointing to DC's move into R-rated body horror.

Why is "You Can See Everything" such a big deal?

It is a documentary now playing in 2,655 theaters, and it grew in its second weekend.

"You Can See Everything" opened Oct. 16 in 855 theaters with about $15.6 million, Variety reported, the best start for a nonmusical documentary in 20 years. This weekend, A24 expanded it to 2,655 theaters, and it took in an estimated $19.5 million. That puts its domestic total at about $45.1 million after 10 days, according to Box Office Mojo's estimate chart.

The Hollywood Reporter said it ranks among the biggest weekends ever for a documentary, measuring it against "Fahrenheit 9/11," which made $23.9 million in one weekend in 2004. Variety reported the film was produced for about $7 million.

The three-hour film follows Holmes, the Theranos founder who was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors. Variety reported that it was shot in secret over more than three years and offers a look at Holmes in the month before she began her 11-year prison sentence.

Critics and audiences have embraced it. The film held a 98% critics score and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter reported. AP said the film has drawn waves of Gen Z moviegoers, and Deadline reported that 66% of this weekend's audience was under 35.

Awards talk is growing too. AP and Variety reported that if it earns a best picture nomination at the Oscars, it would be the first documentary ever to do so. Variety reported that A24 is submitting it in categories well beyond best documentary feature.

Deadline reported that the film won the daily box office on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, beating "Street Fighter" on those days.

The rest of the top five

Laika's stop-motion animated film "Wildwood," released by Fathom Entertainment, opened in third place. Deadline, THR and Box Office Mojo put its weekend at an estimated $11.6 million; AP's list, based on Rentrak data, has $11.8 million. The Hollywood Reporter said that nearly doubles the opening of Laika's last film, "Missing Link" ($5.9 million in 2019), but noted that "Wildwood" carries a reported $100 million budget, a high bar for profit. Directed by Travis Knight, it features the voices of Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay. It earned an A CinemaScore and held a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, THR reported.

Paramount and Legendary's "Street Fighter," last weekend's No. 1 film, fell about 72% to an estimated $8.6 million in fourth place, bringing its domestic total to about $46.9 million, according to THR and Deadline.

Black Bear's "Wicker," a romantic fantasy starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, opened fifth with an estimated $5.75 million from 1,471 theaters, according to Deadline and Box Office Mojo. AP rounded it to $5.8 million. THR reported a 94% critics score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Deadline reported that women made up 79% of its opening audience in PostTrak exit polling.

Weekend top 10 (estimates, Oct. 23–25)

- No. 1: "Clayface" (Warner Bros.), estimated weekend $24.0 million; new this weekend; domestic total $24.0 million - No. 2: "You Can See Everything" (A24), estimated weekend $19.5 million; +25% from last weekend; domestic total $45.1 million - No. 3: "Wildwood" (Fathom/Laika), estimated weekend $11.6 million; new this weekend; domestic total $11.6 million - No. 4: "Street Fighter" (Paramount), estimated weekend $8.6 million; -72% from last weekend; domestic total $46.9 million - No. 5: "Wicker" (Black Bear), estimated weekend $5.75 million; new this weekend; domestic total $5.75 million - No. 6: "BTS World Tour 'Arirang' live viewing" (Trafalgar), estimated weekend $4.5 million; new this weekend; domestic total $4.5 million - No. 7: "Other Mommy" (Universal), estimated weekend $3.85 million; -53% from last weekend; domestic total $51.5 million - No. 8: "Sense and Sensibility" (Focus Features), estimated weekend $3.4 million; -53% from last weekend; domestic total $13.7 million - No. 9: "Whalefall" (20th Century Studios), estimated weekend $3.2 million; -59% from last weekend; domestic total $14.1 million - No. 10: "Verity" (Amazon MGM Studios), estimated weekend $3.06 million; -49% from last weekend; domestic total $71.5 million

*Source: Box Office Mojo weekend chart, all figures marked "Estimated," read at about 4:15 p.m. ET Oct. 25; distributor-reported estimates as compiled by Deadline. Box Office Mojo lists the No. 6 title as "HYBE Cine Fest 2026"; Deadline and THR identify it as the BTS World Tour 'Arirang' live viewing from Buenos Aires. AP's Rentrak-based top 10 leaves out the BTS event and lists "Resident Evil" ($3 million) at No. 10. Final figures come Monday.*

Who missed?

Not every new release found an audience. Sony's "Klara and the Sun," directed by Taika Waititi and starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, opened outside the top 10 with about $725,000 from 880 locations, THR and Deadline reported. Deadline reported a 23% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes as of Friday.

Amazon MGM Studios played Sacha Baron Cohen's "Ali G: Who Iz I?" in 125 theaters on Friday and Saturday only, ahead of its Prime Video debut, and did not report grosses, according to THR.

Overall, Deadline estimated the weekend's total for all films at about $101 million, up about 33% from the same weekend a year ago.

What's next at the movies?

Expect a quiet frame. With Halloween falling on Saturday, studios are avoiding new wide releases next weekend, The Hollywood Reporter reported, which leaves room for "Clayface" and "You Can See Everything" to hold on.

The next wave arrives Nov. 6, when "The Cat in the Hat," "Godzilla Minus Zero" and "Wild Horse Nine" are set to open, according to THR.

Deadline reported that some in the industry believe "You Can See Everything" could reach about $80 million in North America. NewsCubby will update this story when Monday's actual grosses are released.

What we know

- "Clayface" is No. 1 with about $24 million, per the studio estimate; Deadline says $24.5 million. - "You Can See Everything" grew about 25% in its second weekend, to an estimated $19.5 million. - All figures are Sunday estimates.

What we don't know yet

- Monday's actual grosses, which may reorder the close middle of the chart. - How well "Clayface" holds in its second weekend over Halloween.

*Credit: reporting from the Associated Press, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Box Office Mojo. NewsCubby articles are AI-assisted and reviewed by people.*