DC Studios' Clayface is officially on its way out of theaters, with the R-rated horror film losing more than 1,000 screens in its fourth week of release. The movie, which has been a modest success, will make its digital debut on December 8, giving it just a few more weeks to squeeze out any remaining box office dollars.
The film's theatrical run has been overshadowed by major upheaval at DC Studios. Just days ago, co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were unexpectedly replaced after four years, leaving the future of their planned slate in question. Clayface is one of the last projects to hit theaters under their leadership, and its release came at a particularly turbulent time for the franchise.
Originally conceived as a spin-off of Matt Reeves' The Batman, with Mike Flanagan attached to write and direct, Clayface was later folded into the broader DC Universe and ultimately directed by James Watkins. The film stars Tom Rhys Harries as the titular shape-shifting villain, alongside Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan. It opened in over 3,400 theaters three weeks ago and has since seen its theater count drop by more than 1,000 locations.
Despite the theater losses, Clayface has performed reasonably well at the box office, grossing $111 million worldwide against a reported budget of $40 million. It has also earned strong reviews, with a 77% critics' score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, both of which are notably high for a body horror film. The site's consensus praises it for carving out a unique identity while paying homage to classic body horror, calling it an "icky and satisfying revenge thriller."
The film's release comes at a time when DC Studios is in a state of flux. Gunn had recently stated that the long-term plan for the franchise doesn't rely on a heavily interconnected universe, a departure from the previous DC Extended Universe, which was criticized for rushing toward a team-up film. With Gunn and Safran now gone, it remains to be seen whether the franchise will be rebooted once again.
For fans who haven't yet caught Clayface on the big screen, there's still a chance to see it in theaters before its digital release. The movie is expected to be available on PVOD starting December 8. As the theatrical run winds down, it joins a list of recent releases that have seen significant theater drops, such as Street Fighter's own box office slide and Alexander Skarsgård's Wicker losing 500+ screens. Even Liam Neeson's The Mongoose saw a similar fate after a weak debut.
As Clayface prepares to leave theaters, it leaves behind a legacy as one of the more unique entries in the DC canon—a horror-infused character study that managed to stand on its own. Whether it will find a new life on streaming remains to be seen, but for now, its theatrical journey is nearly complete.
