EXCLUSIVE: Peter Safran and James Gunn’s DC venture into low-budget genre films, clay face, got off to a good start in preview tonight with an estimate $3.5 millionif not more.
Domestic weekend projections are in the $20 million to $25 million range, which, if it happens, would give the new Paramount-Warner Bros group its second straight No. 1 opener at the box office following last weekend’s. Street fighter ($31 million).
Previews began today at 2 p.m. for the James Watkins-directed film clay face which, although based on the Batman villain, is a standalone story about Hollywood actor Matt Hagen, who while reaching for the stars fails, kisses the wrong girl at the party and – oops – there’s his face. Mike Flanagan’s screenplay in December 2024 excited Gunn and Safran, and off they went to make this film, which will cost $44 million net to produce before P&A, shot in the United Kingdom.
Regarding the preview compositions, clay faceThe money is higher than the R-rated Sony/Marvel film Kraven the Hunter ($2 million previews, dismal $11 million opening), and not far from the pre-Covid PG-13 spin-off DC Birds of prey ($4 million previews, $33 million opening). Alongside horror films, clay face‘s money is similar to Blumhouse Atomic Monster Other mom ($3.6 million previews, $27.8 million opening) and ahead of 2022 Smile ($2 million previews, $22.6 million opening). And this? clay facePreviews of are greater than Excavator‘s $1.2M ($8M opening). Microphone dropped.
The hope is that the DC film won’t premiere tonight, as all eyes are on the potential of the A24 documentary. You can see everything following its strong midweek business and fantastic $15.6 million opening last weekend. This documentary co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim about Theranos architect Elizabeth Holmes will expand to 2,600 sites tomorrow after bowing at 855 sites.
clay face heads into the weekend with a 76% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes review score, which is higher than The lightning (63%), Supergirl (52% Rotten), Joker Folie à Deux (31%), Shazam Fury of the Gods (49%), that of James Wan Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (33%), and almost as good as Birds of prey (79% certified fresh).
“V for Vendetta”
Warner Bros.
Note that this isn’t the first time in DC cinema history that they’ve ventured into low- and mid-budget fare. At the beginning, there was DC/Vertigo The losers in 2010, which cost $25 million before P&A, opened to $9.4 million and closed to $23.5 million domestically. There was also Josh Brolin-Megan Fox in the 2010 fantasy western. Jonas Hex which bombed with a $5.3 million opening, a $10.5 million finale in the United States alongside its $47 million production cost. And there were the R-rated Wachowski sisters, who adapted and produced the 2005 feature film of the DC title Vertigo, V for Vendetta, which resulted in a North American #1 opening of $25.6 million, with a production cost of $50 million, and a final domestic take of $70.5 million and $134.7 million worldwide.
We’re hearing about previews of Fathom’s release of Laika’s stop-motion animated title. Wildwood is around 1 million dollars. The hope is that the Travis Knight-directed film can break double digits when it opens. The 100% certified fresh review score and 98% audience rating on RT will definitely help.
We’ll have more previews in the morning.
Tonight’s numbers are by distribution source.
Gn entert
