NEW YORK — DC Studios scored a modest, R-rated win with “Clayface,” earning $24 million opening weekend, according to Sunday studio estimates. But the biggest success story in theaters was A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything,” which grossed $19.5 million in its first weekend of wide release.
The number of locations for Nathan Fielder’s “You Can See Everything,” directed by Lance Oppenheim, increased from 855 to 2,655. It continued to disappoint expectations in expansion. It is among the highest-grossing documentaries ever, with $45.1 million in two weeks.
“You Can See Everything” became a sensation in part by appealing to Gen Z moviegoers. Awards season expectations are also rising. If “You Can See Everything” is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, it will be the first documentary to be nominated for Hollywood’s top prize.
“A24 has invested a reported $7 million in an interesting but complex idea that has no beginning, middle or end, turning into a zeitgeisty movie about money, dreams, truth and reality,” said David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe.
Warner Bros. in 3,458 theaters. “Clayface” narrowly took first place in the A24 release. It’s a solid start to Gotham City’s villain story, and it’s DC’s third theatrical release under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran. In an attempt to combine body horror with a comic book movie, the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as rising movie star Matt Hagen, who undergoes experimental facial surgery after a mob boss disfigures him.
While such an opening would be a flop for most superhero movies, “Clayface” had a budget of only $44 million; this was a fraction of the cost of most comic book movies. It added $19 million internationally.
This was enough to give DC Studios some stability and guaranteed profitability after the disappointment of “Supergirl.” Earlier this year, the film grossed only $126 million worldwide on a production budget of $170 million.
Audiences gave “Clayface” a CinemaScore of “A-,” which is high for a horror movie. Reviews were also largely good. Competition may be fierce for horror viewers in October, but “Clayface” may be the best genre draw of the month.
“Clayface is a great example of studios taking a chance on DC’s foray into R-rated horror and body horror, something that is definitely not your typical comic book movie,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of market trends.
Last weekend’s biggest movie, the video game adaptation “Street Fighter,” sank like a stone in its second weekend, dropping 72% with $8.6 million. The Paramount Pictures film, made for approximately $80 million, grossed $46.9 million domestically in two weeks.
“Wildwood,” the latest stop-motion animated film from Portland, Oregon-based studio Laika, ranked third with $11.8 million from 2,779 locations. The film, directed by Laika general manager Travis Knight, earned excellent reviews and strong audience scores (“A” CinemaScore), marking a notable improvement over the studio’s previous film, 2019’s “The Missing Link” (opening at $5.9 million).
But considering it cost $100 million to make, it’s unlikely “Wildwood” will still turn a profit. The PG-13 fantasy follows a young girl who enters an enchanted forest to find her kidnapped brother.
“Wicker,” a hilarious tale starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, opened in 1,471 theaters with a perfect $5.8 million. Acquired by Black Bear Pictures at Sundance for $2.5 million, the hit “Wicker” is a quirky love story about a fisherwoman (Colman) who has the local basket maker weave a husband (Skarsgård) for her.
The weekend’s other new releases were either hard to find or barely seen.
Taika Waititi’s critically acclaimed “Klara and the Sun,” based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, earned just $725,000 in 880 theaters for Sony Pictures.
Amazon MGM has released Sacha Baron Cohen’s poorly received mockumentary “Ali G: Who Iz I?” He chose not to even report gross receipts for .
Although Cohen took the rare step of doing multiple interviews as himself rather than as a character, “Ali G: Who Am I?” It was almost non-existent on opening weekend. The film’s theatrical impact waned significantly after Cohen faced backlash in the United Kingdom for cultural appropriation and racial caricatures.
This list, along with final domestic numbers released Monday, includes estimated ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to Rentrak:
1. “Clayface,” $24 million.
2. “You Can See Everything” $19.5 million.
3. “Wildwood,” $11.8 million.
4. “Street Fighter,” $8.6 million.
5. “Wicker,” $5.8 million.
6. “The Other Mother,” $3.9 million.
7. “Sense and Sensibility,” $3.4 million.
8. “Whale Drop” $3.2 million.
9. “Verity,” $3.1 million.
10. “Resident Evil,” $3 million.