Just when you thought you’d seen it all… A three-hour documentary (in its second weekend of release) grossed almost as much as a new comic book adaptation at the domestic box office.
Even though “Clayface,” rated R by Warner Bros. and DC, was comfortably in first place with $24 million from 3,458 North American theaters in its debut, A24’s Elizabeth Holmes animated documentary “You Can See Everything” was surprisingly close after once again defying box office expectations. The stranger-than-fiction film raked in a spectacular $19.5 million while playing in 2,655 theaters in its second release.
Ticket sales for “You Can See Everything” are 28% higher than its $15.6 million debut in 855 theaters, marking the best start for a non-music documentary in 20 years. So far, the Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim-directed film has grossed a whopping $45.1 million domestically to date. After capturing the zeitgeist and selling out screenings across the country, awards experts predict that this documentary could become the first documentary to earn a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards.
“Opening ‘You Can See Everything’ in 855 theaters was a very smart move, allowing the film to establish itself and gain momentum before expanding much more widely,” says Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s market trends manager. “The fact that we see a documentary generate such a significant increase in the second weekend is remarkable.”
“Clayface” came in at the lower end of the studio’s expectations, between $25 million and $35 million. The anti-hero adaptation grossed an additional $19 million overseas in 76 markets, for a global total of $43 million. In addition to a positive reception, the film seems to be well placed in theaters because its production cost only $44 million. That’s a much lower budget than DC’s other recent mainstays, including July’s “Supergirl” and 2025’s “Superman.” Although “Superman” was a decent hit with $618 million against a $225 million budget, “Supergirl” was a setback for the recently relaunched comic book studio after blowing out with $126 million against a $170 million budget. Meanwhile, DC has found streaming success with its shows “Peacemaker” and “Lanterns” for HBO Max. DC wanted to keep costs low on “Clayface” because it’s a much darker body horror thriller than those 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. Audiences enjoyed the film, which earned an “A” rating in CinemaScore’s exit polls.
“Over the years, there have been a dozen superhero and antihero spin-offs, from ‘Joker’ to ‘Venom’ to ‘Kraven the Hunter,'” says David A. Gross, who publishes the FranchiseRe box office newsletter. “This film was wisely conceived as something different, costing a fraction of what those films cost, and it should be profitable once all the ancillary activities are completed.”
“Clayface” debuted alongside a handful of new releases, including Laika’s stop-motion animated film “Wildwood,” Black Bear’s offbeat romantic comedy “Wicker” and Sony’s literary adaptation “Klara and the Sun,” starring Jenna Ortega.
“Wildwood” debuted at No. 3 with $11 million from 2,718 theaters, launching above projections of $6 million to $8 million. It’s a promising start for original animation, which has been called into question in the years since the pandemic. And “Wildwood” enjoys excellent reviews (a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls), which should help the film stick around beyond its opening weekend. However, this movie cost $100 million (stop-motion animation is labor intensive and takes years to be produced) and will probably not generate a profit in theaters.
“It’s a really good opening for a new animated film coming from outside the studio development and distribution system,” Gross says. “Audiences love this film, but it will take a very long time to recoup its costs.”
So far, “Wildwood” has only collected $3 million internationally in 11 markets. The film comes from Laika Studios, best known for making the 2009 stop-motion fantasy “Coraline.” It’s the company’s first release since 2019’s “Missing Link,” which opened to $6 million in 3,413 theaters and finished its run with $26 million worldwide. “Wildwood” was directed by Travis Knight, CEO of Laika, and revolves around a teenage girl who travels with a classmate to an enchanted forest after her brother is kidnapped.
“Wicker” landed in fifth place with $5.75 million from 1,471 shoots, a strong start for the low-budget film. Black Bear acquired the highly praised film after Sundance for $2.5 million. 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.
“Klara and the Sun” collapsed to 15th place with $720,000 from 880 sites. Sony scaled back the cinematic footprint after critics called the film “calamitous” and “shockingly awful.” Fortunately, the Taika Waititi-directed adaptation had a modest budget of $20 million, so the studio’s inevitable 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 (Ortega) attempts to bond with her new owner, a sickly young girl named Josie.
Paramount’s video game reboot “Street Fighter” landed in fourth place with $8.6 million from 3,575 theaters in its second weekend, a painful 72% drop from its debut. The film has grossed $46.9 million in North America and $79.6 million worldwide to date. Legendary video game developer Capcom co-financed “Street Fighter” for $82 million, with Paramount solely responsible for distribution.
Disney and 20th Century’s “Whalefall” also fell in their second releases with $3.2 million from 3,065 theaters. The survival thriller, starring Austin Abrams as a diver swallowed by a sperm whale, dropped to No. 10 on the weekend charts and has grossed $14.1 million domestically and $31.1 million worldwide to date. “Whalefall” cost $60 million and requires considerable stamina, since theater owners keep about half of the ticket sales.
Elsewhere, Netflix drama series “La Bola Negra” earned $245,000 from nine sites, a 12% decline despite the increase in theaters. So far, the streamer’s awards contender has raised $650,000 over two weekends in limited release. Netflix plans to keep “La Bola Negra” in theaters for 45 days, a traditional window in post-pandemic times, before the film’s release on Netflix on December 2.
Gn entert
