Universal and Blumhouse’s “Other Mommy” opened to $27.5 million in North America this weekend, while Sony’s “The Social Reckoning” stalled in fifth place with $5.5 million. The results are a blunt reminder that a horror concept can out-open a prestige drama even when its own audiences dislike the film.
Two weak exit scores, two very different risk profiles
“Other Mommy,” starring Jessica Chastain, came in above expectations despite a 19% Rotten Tomatoes score and a D+ CinemaScore. Analyst David A. Gross says the genre usually shrugs off bad reviews, but “this is extreme” and expects business to “drop sharply.” The film cost a modest $18 million and has already collected $17.69 million overseas for a $45.19 million global start.
“The Social Reckoning” was projected to open at $7–8 million and missed even that. Its $5.5 million domestic launch, plus $3.5 million from 29 overseas markets, gives the Aaron Sorkin-directed Facebook drama $9 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. Sony had positioned the film as a “companion piece” to 2010’s “The Social Network,” which opened to $22 million and eventually grossed $224 million globally.
That comparison is the core marketing problem. The Social Network had David Fincher, Jesse Eisenberg, and Oscar pedigree; the new film does not. Ticket buyers skewed older and male, a cohort that has been slow to return to theatres.
The rest of the top five
- Verity: $11.4 million second weekend; $53 million domestic, $113 million global against a $40 million budget.
- Resident Evil: $8.3 million fourth weekend; $138.5 million domestic, $300 million global against a $75 million budget.
- Heart of the Beast: $7.1 million third weekend; $49.6 million domestic, $131.3 million global against an $82 million budget.
- Digger: $3.2 million second weekend, down 60%; $14 million domestic and $35.3 million global against a production cost above $160 million.
Specialty releases had stronger per-theatre averages: “Fjord” earned $124,000 from four locations, “Misty Green” $85,716 from six, and “Musk” $68,900 from four screens despite a nearly four-hour runtime.
What it means
For entertainment marketers and planners, the weekend separates concept from brand. “Other Mommy” proves that horror demand can be front-loaded on a clear premise even with toxic exits. “The Social Reckoning” shows that a famous predecessor, without the original creative team, is not enough to bring older prestige audiences back to cinemas.
October overall is running 23% ahead of last year’s weak point and 8% behind 2019. Domestic revenues have already passed $8 billion, a level not reached until December in 2025, with “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part III” still ahead.
Source: Variety
