DC Studios’ Clayface has claimed the top spot at the North American box office, collecting $10.4 million on Friday, October 23, from 3,458 theaters. The horror thriller has made a promising start ahead of Halloween, while A24’s documentary You Can See Everything continues its remarkable theatrical run with another $6.14 million.
The two films are now leading a weekend that offers an unusual box-office contest: a Batman villain’s origin story against a nearly three-hour documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
Clayface Targets $24 Million Opening Weekend
Directed by James Watkins, Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising actor whose career collapses after a violent disfigurement. Desperate to restore his appearance, Hagen undergoes an experimental treatment that leads to horrifying consequences.
The film’s $10.4 million Friday collection includes $3.5 million from Thursday previews, meaning approximately $6.9 million came from Friday screenings outside those previews.
Industry projections currently place its three-day domestic debut at approximately $23 million to $25 million, with $24 million emerging as the central estimate.
Made on a reported production budget of around $40 million to $44 million, the film represents a relatively contained financial gamble compared with DC’s larger superhero productions. However, theatrical profitability will depend on its performance beyond opening weekend, international earnings and marketing expenses.
The early audience response is encouraging. Clayface earned an A- CinemaScore, an important indicator for a horror-oriented release hoping to maintain momentum through Halloween.
You Can See Everything Continues Its Surprising Run
While Clayface leads Friday’s rankings, A24’s You Can See Everything is delivering perhaps the more unusual commercial success.
Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the documentary examines Elizabeth Holmes during the period surrounding her imprisonment, following an intimate filmmaking process that developed over several years.
The film collected $6,146,325 on its second Friday, bringing its domestic total to approximately $31.79 million after eight days.
Its second-weekend expansion has been substantial, growing from 855 theaters to 2,655 locations—more than tripling its theatrical footprint.
Friday’s earnings were approximately 11% higher than the previous Friday, suggesting the wider release is successfully attracting additional audiences.
The documentary is now projected to collect around $19 million to $20 million during its second weekend. That would be an extraordinary result for a nonfiction feature, particularly one running nearly three hours.
Wildwood Takes Third as Street Fighter Slows Down
Elsewhere, Laika’s animated fantasy Wildwood opened in third place with approximately $4.29 million from 2,752 theaters.
Wicker followed with $2.36 million, narrowly ahead of Street Fighter, which earned $2.35 million on Friday. The video game adaptation experienced an approximately 82% decline from its opening Friday, bringing its domestic total to $40.68 million.
The weekend’s early figures suggest that audiences are supporting two very different theatrical offerings. For Clayface, the next challenge is maintaining its horror appeal beyond Halloween. For You Can See Everything, its expanding audience could turn an already impressive documentary opening into one of the year’s standout theatrical success stories.
