The third project in the new iteration of the DC Universe is finally here, and to say that a lot is riding on it would be an understatement. The franchise opened up in great fashion with the release of Superman, which grossed $618 million worldwide. However, things took a left turn with Supergirl, which only grossed $126 million at the global box office despite needing to reach $300 million to break even.
Naturally, it doesn't bode well for a new cinematic universe to have its first "misstep" with its second-ever film. As such, all eyes turned to Clayface to see whether the studio could recreate another major success, but this was always going to be a tricky task. The recent DCU release is an R-rated body-horror project starring a B-list Batman villain, which wouldn't seem to appeal to a wide audience. Clayface was a risky movie to greenlight, but the studio felt confident in the story it was trying to tell. Fortunately, the risk paid off, even if the film had a lower box office opening than Supergirl.
Clayface nearly recoups its initial budget during its opening weekend
Matt Hagen is a superstar in Gotham, so it's only natural he's finding a lot of success in the real world as well. Clayface opened to $24 million domestically and an extra $19 million grossed overseas, totaling a $43 million opening weekend. Granted, the latest DCU project failed to surpass Supergirl's underwhelming opening, but there are a few things to take into consideration.
For starters, Supergirl had a reported production budget of $175 million, with an additional $120 million being dedicated to marketing and promotional expenses. That's why a $300 million goal seemed unreachable when the film opened to $68 million. On the other hand, Clayface has a reported production budget of $44 million, which was nearly recouped during the opening weekend.
For reference, here is how much every DCU film has grossed during its opening weekend in comparison to its budget:
- Superman - $220 million opening against a $225 million budget
- Supergirl - $68 million opening against a $175 million budget
- Clayface -$44 million opening against a $45 million budget
A film's break-even point usually stands at around 2 to 2.5 times its budget to account for marketing expenses as well. That means Clayface should surpass somewhere between $88 million and $110 million to become profitable for the studio. Interestingly, the film has found itself in a similar position to Superman, which was also very close to recouping its initial budget during opening weekend. And since Superman eventually turned a profit, Clayface could be on track to do the same.
One thing that could help Clayface's momentum at the box office is its stellar reviews, which could translate into more people being willing to see it during the upcoming days, cushioning its second-weekend drop. But while it's still too early to tell where exactly the film could gross by the end of its theatrical run, it has opened things up on a promising note.
Clayface's opening puts the DCU in an advantageous position once more. After all, the studio recently had a major success on its hands in the form of Lanterns, which drew an average of 19 million viewers per episode.
The next project on the slate is the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, which will feature many major characters, including John Stewart, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, and Hawkgirl. Moreover, rumors indicate that both Batman and Wonder Woman could also show up to save the day. The DCU's first "crossover" project will certainly draw audiences in, meaning that out of the franchise's first four films, three are very likely to turn a profit.
Only time will tell how much Clayface will gross at the global box office by the end of its run, but its opening weekend is certainly a sign of better things to come.
Clayface is now playing in theaters.
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