Two new films are fighting for North American moviegoers this weekend, and early signs favor horror. The Other Mommy box office preview points to a strong opening for the Universal and Blumhouse thriller. Meanwhile, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning” is expected to open well below its famous predecessor, the Express Tribune reported.
Other Mommy leads the pack
“Other Mommy” is a supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage. Jessica Chastain stars as a mother and as a sinister entity that takes on her appearance. The story follows a young girl who meets a frightening presence that looks exactly like her mother. Josh Malerman’s novel “Incidents Around the House” inspired it.
The film opened on Oct. 9 with a reported budget of $19 million. Projections put its North American opening weekend at around $20 million. Variety reported that it earned $3.6 million in Thursday previews.
Two factors are helping. First, a viral trailer built online attention. Second, the release lands just ahead of Halloween, when demand for horror usually rises.
The Social Reckoning faces a tougher start
“The Social Reckoning” is a drama from Sony. Sorkin wrote and directed it as a follow-up to his 2010 film “The Social Network.” This time, the focus is Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who hands internal company documents to a journalist.
Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg, replacing Jesse Eisenberg from the first film. Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White also appear in the cast. Analysts project an opening of about $7 million to $8 million.
That is a modest start for a prestige title. Therefore, the film needs strong word of mouth to build over the coming weeks. The Express Tribune noted that it is expected to open far below the original.
What to watch on Sunday
Studios will report weekend estimates on Sunday. Several things are worth watching. One is whether “Other Mommy” beats its $20 million projection. Another is how “The Social Reckoning” holds up on Saturday after Friday. Older releases will also face pressure from both new films.
Full reviews and audience scores have not yet been widely reported, so the picture may still shift. Wire Examiner will update this story when the weekend estimates are released.
Sources: The Express Tribune, Variety.
