Other Mommy Leads Weekend Box Office With $3.6 Million in Previews as The Social Reckoning Struggles

Jessica Chastain's horror movie Other Mommy earned $3.6 million in Thursday previews ahead of its October 9 opening, positioning it to lead the North American weekend box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Its principal new competitor, Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning, collected $650,000 in previews and faces a substantially smaller projected opening.

Other Mommy and The Social Reckoning Opening Weekend Key Facts

Category	Details
Other Mommy Thursday previews	$3.6 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter
Other Mommy projected opening	$20 million across 3,200 North American theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter
The Social Reckoning Thursday previews	$650,000, according to The Hollywood Reporter
The Social Reckoning projected opening	Around $7 million across 2,600 North American theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter
The Social Reckoning production budget	$30 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter
The Social Reckoning Rotten Tomatoes score	57 percent, according to The Hollywood Reporter
Other Mommy director and star	Rob Savage and Jessica Chastain, according to The Hollywood Reporter

How Much Did Other Mommy Make in Thursday Previews

Other Mommy collected $3.6 million from Thursday previews, giving Universal Pictures an encouraging start to the weekend. The Hollywood Reporter said the studio was projecting a $20 million opening for the Rob Savage-directed horror feature, which is playing in 3,200 North American theaters.

The movie follows a family whose home is haunted by a sinister entity that looks and sounds like the mother. Chastain plays both the mother and the threatening figure, creating a story built around the frightening possibility that a familiar family member might not be who she appears to be.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is adapted from Josh Malerman's 2024 novel Incidents Around the House. The adaptation has attracted considerable online attention because of its unusual premise, its title and the frightening moments featured in promotional material.

Although The Hollywood Reporter noted that Other Mommy has received some harsh reviews, its preview earnings and studio projection suggest that the horror release is entering the weekend with stronger commercial expectations than its principal new competitor.

Why Is The Social Reckoning Struggling at the Box Office

Sony Pictures' The Social Reckoning earned $650,000 in Thursday previews, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The studio expects an opening weekend of approximately $7 million from 2,600 North American theaters for the film, which carries a reported $30 million production budget.

The Hollywood Reporter compared that preview performance with Warner Bros.' Digger, starring Tom Cruise. That film collected $1.2 million in previews the previous week before opening to just $8 million over the weekend, although the publication noted that Digger has a substantially larger budget.

The Social Reckoning is Aaron Sorkin's fact-based follow-up to The Social Network, David Fincher's 2010 film about Facebook's founding. Sorkin earned an Academy Award for writing the original film's screenplay, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The original film opened at No. 1 with $22.4 million and eventually accumulated $224 million globally, The Hollywood Reporter said. Those figures provide a commercial point of comparison for the follow-up, although the newer film features a different cast and story.

Critical reaction to The Social Reckoning has been mixed. The Hollywood Reporter reported a 57 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, while its chief film critic David Rooney described the movie as an "engrossing whistleblower thriller."

What Is The Social Reckoning About and Who Stars in It

The Social Reckoning follows a Facebook employee who works with a journalist to expose concerning information about the company. Mikey Madison plays the staffer, while Jeremy Allen White portrays the journalist, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Jeremy Strong takes over the role of Mark Zuckerberg, replacing Jesse Eisenberg, who played the Facebook founder in The Social Network. Eisenberg received an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 2010 film but did not return for the follow-up.

Sorkin directed The Social Reckoning, whereas David Fincher directed the original feature. The Hollywood Reporter's coverage identified both the filmmaking change and the recasting of Zuckerberg as differences between the two installments.

Sorkin has not ruled out returning to the subject for another film. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he explained that he would consider another Facebook-centered project if a suitable story emerged.

"So if a good story comes along and it takes place at Facebook, sure," Sorkin told the publication. His comments leave open the possibility of another installment without announcing that one is in development.

What Did Jessica Chastain Say About the Other Mommy Viral Trailer

Other Mommy generated attention before its release when its trailer appeared in theaters ahead of The Odyssey. The Hollywood Reporter said the trailer's jump scares surprised moviegoers who were not anticipating the horror material.

At the Universal Pictures fan screening at Universal CityWalk Hollywood on October 8, Chastain discussed the reaction to the promotional footage. She told The Hollywood Reporter that friends and relatives had contacted her after seeing the trailer while attending The Odyssey.

"I got really funny texts from my friends and family who went to go see The Odyssey," Chastain said. She explained that many of her friends enjoy going to the movies, making their reactions particularly amusing to her.

Director Rob Savage told The Hollywood Reporter that the attention came while the production team was still finishing the movie. He described working on color grading, sound mixing and visual effects as the trailer gained attention.

Savage said the team had been working 18-hour days to complete the film. The unexpected response was encouraging, but it also increased the pressure surrounding the approaching release.

The film's title also became a talking point. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project was originally called Incidents Around the House, matching Malerman's novel.

Savage explained that Other Mommy was "a better title" and connected the decision to the ambition of establishing a memorable horror villain. He also acknowledged online complaints that the character was not called Other Mother.

Are Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin Competing at the Box Office

Chastain has personal and professional connections to the filmmaker behind the rival release. She starred in Sorkin's 2017 movie Molly's Game and is also close friends with Jeremy Strong, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

During her Other Mommy premiere appearance, Chastain revealed that Sorkin had emailed her about the coincidence of their movies opening against each other.

"But no competition," she told The Hollywood Reporter, dismissing the idea of a serious rivalry. She also jokingly suggested a promotional collaboration involving the character of Zuckerberg appearing alongside the Other Mommy cast.

For the weekend itself, The Hollywood Reporter identified Other Mommy as the likely leader. The publication also noted several films opening in select theaters, including Alex Gibney's documentary Musk, Chris Rock's Misty Green and the biographical drama Tenzing.

The contrasting preview totals place the two major new releases in different positions as their opening weekends begin. Universal's horror film enters with a $20 million projection, while Sony's Facebook thriller carries expectations of around $7 million.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Other Mommy earn in Thursday previews?

Other Mommy earned $3.6 million in Thursday previews, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Universal Pictures projected a $20 million opening weekend across 3,200 North American theaters.

Who plays Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning?

Jeremy Strong portrays Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He replaces Jesse Eisenberg, who played the character in The Social Network and received an Oscar nomination for that performance.

Is Other Mommy based on a book?

Yes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Other Mommy is adapted from Josh Malerman's 2024 novel Incidents Around the House, which was also the film's original title.