DC Studios' R-rated 'Clayface' claimed the top box office spot with an estimated $24 million domestic opening from 3,458 theaters, adding $19 million internationally for a $43 million worldwide start, according to the Associated Press and IGN.

But the A24 documentary 'You Can See Everything' was close behind at $19.5 million in its first wide-release weekend, expanding from 855 to 2,655 locations.

Deadline reports a slightly higher $24.5 million opening for 'Clayface,' noting that second-place finisher 'You Can See Everything' actually rose 25% from its debut.

It is extremely rare for a film to gross more in its second weekend than its opening, yet that is exactly what the three-hour Elizabeth Holmes documentary did. Gross called 'extremely rare.'

With $45.1 million in two weeks, France 24 says it marks the second-biggest documentary weekend ever, after 2004's 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'

A24 built the surge by platforming in under 1,000 theaters first, creating sellout-driven buzz before going wide, a strategy one distribution head praised to Deadline.

Deadline reports the documentary's audience was 66% under 35, splitting evenly between men and women, with a 79% definite recommend on PostTrak and a social reach of 130 million.

The Associated Press says the film has become a sensation partly by drawing waves of Gen Z moviegoers, and that awards-season prospects are growing: a Best Picture nomination would make it the first documentary ever nominated for Hollywood's top prize.

Meanwhile 'Clayface' earned an 'A-' CinemaScore, which James Gunn noted on Threads is a grade few horror films have ever received, alongside 'Obsession,' 'Weapons' and 'Get Out,' per Deadline and IGN.

A $24 million opening would spell trouble for most superhero films, but the Associated Press notes 'Clayface' was budgeted at just $44 million, a fraction of typical comic book costs.

That makes its assured profitability a stabilizing win for DC Studios after 'Supergirl' grossed only $126 million worldwide on a $170 million budget earlier this year, per the AP.

IGN reports the James Watkins-directed film, starring Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, earned a 75% critics score and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Polygon reports the win also gives the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. two straight weekend victories after 'Street Fighter.'

Analyst David A. Gross told the Associated Press that A24 invested a reported $7 million in 'an interesting but complicated idea without a beginning, middle or end' that has become 'a zeitgeist film about money, dreams, truth and reality.'

France 24 describes the film as following Holmes and her family at home in 2023 in the month before her 11-year prison sentence for defrauding Theranos investors, with Amanda Seyfried's surprise cameo fueling awards chatter.

Both films now face the Halloween frame, and Polygon says it will be fascinating to see how 'Clayface' and 'You Can See Everything' hold with audiences next weekend. The AP notes the horror field is crowded in October, but 'Clayface' may end up the month's top genre draw.

Deadline reports the overall North American marketplace totaled $101 million, up 33% from a year ago, giving both releases momentum.