DC Studios is heading toward the release of Clayface, its R-rated Batman villain spinoff movie, with plenty of confidence, despite Supergirl failing at the box office. The body horror film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a struggling actor whose desperate turn to an experimental procedure transforms him into the shapeshifting Gotham monster. It marks the first horror movie from DC Studios and the first feature in the new DCU to center on a Batman villain.
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran shared confidence in Clayface's success during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly amid Supergirl's struggles at the box office. Director James Watkins pointed to positive feedback from the film’s early test screenings, while Safran argued the horror genre gives Clayface a dependable lane at the box office. The Milly Alcock-led Supergirl currently stands at just over $120 million worldwide against a reported $170 million production budget, a total that will leave Warner Bros. facing heavy losses.
Safran tackled questions surrounding Supergirl's underperformance head-on, admitting that "not everything’s gonna work" for the studio:
"Obviously, you saw it this weekend, not everything’s gonna work, but we don’t judge the success of our 10-year plan based on any individual project along the way. It’s more about expanding the tonal range of the DC universe.”
Despite Supergirl's disastrous performance, Safran believes Clayface's fate will be different, and the movie's genre is a big part of why he's confident. He described the upcoming entry as a film that "leans into horror and psychological thriller:"
"It leans into horror and psychological thriller in a way that definitely differentiates it from more traditional superhero entries, while still being anchored in what I would say is a recognizable character."
The co-CEO’s faith in horror is far from unfounded given the numbers the genre has done recently. Movies like Sinners, Obsession, and Backrooms have enjoyed significant box office success, so it’s no surprise that Safran calls horror "one of the most reliable and popular genres with moviegoers." Ryan Coogler’s Sinners did $370 million worldwide, Curry Barker’s Obsession crossed $400 million this summer on a budget under $1 million, and A24’s Backrooms passed $380 million after the biggest opening weekend in the studio’s history.
Clayface reaches theaters on October 23 as the third DCU movie, following Superman and Supergirl. Watkins, who previously directed Speak No Evil, helms the film from a story by horror veteran Mike Flanagan, who wrote the screenplay with Hossein Amini. The Batman director Matt Reeves produces alongside Lynn Harris, James Gunn, and Safran, and the cast includes Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, David Dencik, and Eddie Marsan.
Can Clayface Avoid Supergirl’s Box Office Fate?
The biggest advantage Clayface has comes down to money. The horror flick has a reported $40 million production budget, less than a quarter of what Supergirl cost, which places its break-even point in territory most successful horror movies clear with room to spare. Supergirl reportedly needed around $300 million to turn a profit and will finish nowhere near that figure. Even a modest theatrical run would push the Batman villain movie into the black.
Timing helps too. Supergirl arrived in June competing with Toy Story 5, Spielberg's Disclosure Day, Masters of the Universe and a holdover Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, tough competition for any blockbuster wanting to attract a broad audience. Clayface faces nothing comparable in late October, where its main same-day company includes Laika’s stop-motion adventure Wildwood and Guy Ritchie’s comedy Wife & Dog, neither of which competes for horror audiences. Warner Bros. shifted the film back from its original September 11 date earlier this year, giving it a berth one week before Halloween, when scary movies traditionally thrive.
The Batman connection gives Clayface a solid advantage too. Clayface belongs to the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery, and Gotham branding still sells tickets. Todd Phillips’ Joker turned a Batman villain story into a billion-dollar hit in 2019, and Matt Reeves’ involvement as a producer strengthens that association for anyone who loved The Batman.
Another plus for Clayface is that it is a standalone horror movie, so audiences do not need to know anything about the broader DCU to enjoy it. At the same time, mixed reviews hurt Supergirl's ticket sales. Moviegoers nowadays walk away from bad movies fast, so Clayface still needs to be a good film this October. If audiences like it, positive word of mouth could make it an even bigger hit than expected.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
