Supergirl’s disappointing opening weekend at the box office and its unfortunate drop-off obviously weren’t the most celebratory outcomes for DC Studios’ second movie. A stumbling block like that isn’t going to send James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU toppling down, though, especially not with Man of Tomorrow set to release in 2027. So let’s forget about all that so I can address why I absolutely need Clayface to crush when it hits theaters this year.
Just like Gotham City’s dark and danger-filled streets stand apart from all the sunlit worlds that Kara and Ruthye went to, my hopes and dreams for James Watkins’ body horror are only tangentially related to Supergirl’s financial situation. I’m already thinking about what the future will hold, and how much attention Warner Bros. will be eager to invest in it all.
Clayface's Success Will Hopefully Fast-Track Other DC Horror Projects Like Swamp Thing
The biggest reason why Clayface's potential success doesn't really relate to the Kryptonian cousins is because their films are big-budget PG-13 spectacles, while Matt Hagen's story is a more modestly financed, R-rated horror movie. Two different audience bases, two different ratios for what "success" means at the box office.
Reportedly costing around $40 million, Clayface is hitting theaters during a year that's already been gigantic for horror (albeit on the indie side), and theoretically won't have nearly as much trouble making that money back as any superhero saga that goes over $150 million would. I'm not even sure the hard R rating will have that much of an impact, since younger crowds likely wouldn't be clamoring to watch this anyway.
As such, I believe that if (and when) the Tom Rhys Harries-starring horror destroys box office predictions and makes profits galore, all the Warner Bros. and DC Studios execs will be that much more confident to quickly go into development on other mid-budget projects based on other DC horror faves.
A Swamp Thing movie is the biggest goal here, which James Mangold has been attached to, but without a ton of noteworthy updates. (Just get it made while Vincent D'Onofrio can still do it.) As well, Constantine director Francis Lawrence and star Keanu Reeves have both spoken positively about returning for a sequel to that 2005 release. (Not that it's automatically grandfathered into the DCU, but still.) Both of those examples might require more CGI money than Clayface, but there are ways to craft. those stories to limit pricier digital FX.
The sky is the limit, though, by way of other DC horror projects that could get consideration if Clayface fares well. All of the comics from Joe Hill's Hill House line would make great features, from Basketful of Heads to The Dollhouse Family. Deadman and Spectre movies? Zatanna? A Victor Zsasz faux true crime doc? I'll take them all, please and thank you.
Clayface Succeeding Could Open The Door To More Mid-Budget Movies Outside The Horror Genre
Okay, so using a picture from Bruce Campbell's Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead may not have been the best example to veer away from horror, but it's still relevant because of the previously delayed Sgt. Rock movie that's still reportedly in development. It's possible that several of the DCU projects that James Gunn is producing are in holding patterns until there's enough excited forward momentum to make them priorities for Warner Bros.
Despite being a war-centric character, Sgt Rock doesn't need to be a $200 million production. And neither would projects centering on movie-worthy characters such as The Question, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and many more. Hell, a Gotham Central movie or series wouldn't necessarily be any more expensive or complicated than a network TV procedural or big screen crime drama.
But for any of that to happen, I'm thinking everyone involved behind the scenes needs a big jolting reminder that fans are hungry to see these kinds of stories on the big screen. And there's no reminder more reliable than dollar signs. So, TLDR: go watch Clayface in theaters, probably more than once, and with everyone you know.
The DCU's first villain-fronted film is set to be released on October 23, 2026.
