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The generally positive reviews you’ve been waiting for Clayface It was somewhat of a surprise that the review embargo was lifted after a decidedly mixed social media reaction, and it looks like moviegoers are fully embracing DC Studios’ first horror film.
Clayface It is “Certified Fresh” with a strong 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated solo villain film of all time, and boasting an Audience/Popcornometer score of 94% based on over 500 ratings.
This ties in with James Watkins’ R-rated comic book movie. Batman Begins and dark knight Aggregator’s highest-rated DC-based movies (those that grossed $1 billion) joker It was only 89%.)
Whether this audience support will translate into ticket sales remains to be seen. Clayface It earned $3.5 million in Thursday previews and is currently expected to gross a solid $25-$35 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
With a reported production budget of $40 million, it would need to gross more than $100 million worldwide to turn a profit. That’s certainly achievable, and positive word-of-mouth could make the film a surprise hit.
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran recently confirmed that the DCU’s Batman is active during the events of the film, even if we don’t see him or hear anyone mention him.
“We never really talked about what he was doing during the actual events of Clayface.” he said Collider. “But there’s Batman. This is our introduction to live-action Gotham. We showed Batman’s silhouette in Creature Commandos, so you know he’s around, but this is our first step into the world of Gotham.”
Are you interested in seeing it? Clayface This weekend? Please let us know in the comments.
https://t.co/3FI9B7iNkr
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 22, 2026
Confusion began. #ClayfaceMovie is now Verified Fresh on @RottenTomatoes. Buy your #ClayfaceMovie tickets now – see it in theaters tomorrow! “>https://t.co/JUUFXmqo7u
— Clayface Movie (@ClayfaceMovieDC) October 21, 2026
DC Studios’ first foray into the genre, Clayface is a horror thriller directed by James Watkins and starring Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the Gotham City villain. In a story that explores the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition, Clayface unravels the harrowing process of one man’s transformation from rising Hollywood star to a vengeful monster..
The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. James Watkins directed from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, based on the characters from DC, with Flanagan helming the story.
Clayface It is created by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran and executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Rafi Crohn, Paul Ritchie, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther.