Just a week ago, “Clayface” was easily expected to dominate the box office, with opening weekend projections of $25 million to $35 million, from 3,400 North American theaters. (Rivals suggest a slightly softer debut, around $22 million to $28 million). Now, Warner Bros.’ R-rated comic book adaptation and DC could face unexpected competition for No. 1 from A24’s Elizabeth Holmes animated documentary “You Can See Everything.”
“You Can See Everything” could gross $20 million to $25 million while expanding to 2,600 theaters in its second weekend of release. This would be the rare film to see an increase in ticket sales in its second release. The stranger-than-fiction film, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, shattered initial expectations with $15.6 million from just 855 theaters, marking the biggest opening for a non-music documentary in 20 years. To date, he has earned $20.8 million domestically.
Whether or not “Clayface” ends up at No. 1 on the national charts, the film appears to be well positioned theatrically. It is targeting $20 million to $25 million overseas in 76 markets, for a global total of $45 million to $55 million. The film cost $44 million to produce, a fraction of the budget of recent DC adaptations including July’s “Supergirl” and 2025’s “Superman.” After “Superman” managed to reset the languishing DC Universe, “Supergirl” bombed with $126 million against a $170 million budget and marked a step backwards for the studio’s comic book ambitions. A body horror thriller, “Clayface” is much darker than these family adventures. Directed by James Watkins, “Clayface” follows the titular Batman villain, a rising movie star who volunteers for a highly experimental medical procedure after his face is severely disfigured.
“Clayface” is one of several new releases this weekend, including Black Bear’s offbeat romantic comedy “Wicker,” Laika’s stop-motion animated film “Wildwood,” Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary “Ali G: Who Iz I?” and the Jenna Ortega-directed literary adaptation “Klara and the Sun.” Each of these films is aiming for single-digit debuts.
“Wicker” is expected to gross $6 million to $8 million from 1,471 locations, a good start for the low-budget independent film. Olivia Colman plays an ostracized woman who tasks a local basket weaver to weave her a husband. His unexpected romance with Creation (Alexander Skarsgård) sparks jealousy in the village. Black Bear acquired the highly praised film for $2.5 million after generating buzz at the Sundance Film Festival.
“Wildwood” Debuts $6-8 Million in More Than 2,000 Theaters. It’s Laika Studios’ first release since 2019’s “Missing Link,” which opened to $6 million in 3,413 theaters and finished its run with $26 million worldwide. Laika is best known for directing the 2009 stop-motion fantasy film “Coraline.” Stop-motion animation is labor-intensive (that film took more than five years to make), so “Wildwood” costs a substantial $100 million and is unlikely to turn a profit in theaters based on initial projections. Directed by Travis Knight, the CEO of Laika who directed this year’s flop “Masters of the Universe” for Amazon MGM, “Wildwood” revolves around a teenage girl who travels with a classmate to an enchanted forest after her brother is kidnapped. The reviews have been excellent, with Variety Chief film critic Guy Lodge praised the film as “Laika’s most ambitious feature to date” and noted that “the sumptuous stop-motion spectacle makes it feel fresh and alive.”
“Klara and the Sun” might also struggle to connect with audiences. Its opening is estimated to bring in $2 million from about 850 theaters. Sony reduced the theatrical footprint to a moderate release after critics called the film “calamitous” and “terribly awful.” Sony produced the Taika Waititi-directed adaptation for a cool $20 million, so box office losses won’t be too painful. Based on the 2021 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, “Klara and the Sun” is set in a dystopian future as an obsolete android companion (Jenna Ortega) attempts to bond with her new owner, a sickly young girl named Josie.
“Ali G: Who am I?” is only playing in 125 theaters for two days before moving to Prime Video on a date to be determined. Baron Cohen wrote, directed and starred in “Ali G,” based on his character — an aspiring rapper — who originally appeared on Channel 4’s “The 11 O’Clock Show” and later on “Da Ali G Show” in the early 2000s. Much like the comedian’s previous works, including 2006’s “Borat” and 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” the “Ali G” film was filmed in secret. Although plot details are unclear, Baron Cohen plays three characters in the film, including the former Mossad agent from his Showtime series “Who Is America?”
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