Universal and Blumhouse's new horror film «Other Mommy» dominated the North American box office this weekend, opening to an estimated $27.8 million from 3,365 theaters. The film, which stars Jessica Chastain in a dual role, also earned $45.6 million worldwide. Its strong debut helped push the overall Top 10 to a combined $77 million, up 19.1% from the same weekend last year.
The opening is a solid result for Blumhouse, which produced the film for just $19 million. It slightly outpaced last year's «Black Phone 2» ($27.3 million) and far exceeded director Rob Savage's previous film, «The Boogeyman» ($12.3 million). Universal's marketing campaign was widely credited for the strong start, including a trailer attachment to screenings of «The Odyssey» that generated significant buzz. Chastain's track record in horror, including «Mama» and «It: Chapter Two», also proved a draw.
However, the good news ended there. Audiences gave «Other Mommy» a disastrous «D+» CinemaScore, a toxic grade even by horror standards. The film opened with $12.6 million on Friday but dropped 29% on both Saturday and Sunday, indicating that word of mouth is already hurting its performance. Reviews were also brutal, with an 18% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Universal had held reviews until the last minute, likely hoping to avoid an impact on opening weekend. According to the studio, 51% of the audience was male and 38% was in the 18-34 demographic.
With Halloween approaching, the film could see a boost, but current projections suggest it will finish its domestic run around $55 million. Given its low budget, it will still turn a profit, but the steep drop-offs raise questions about how much more it could have earned with better reception.
In second place, Amazon MGM's «Verity» added $12 million in its second weekend, a steep 63% drop from its debut. The adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel has now earned $54.3 million through 10 days and should still cross $70 million domestically. The drop was steeper than any previous Hoover adaptation, attributed to poor word of mouth.
Sony's «Resident Evil» continued its strong run, easing just 32% in its third weekend with $8.5 million. The film has now grossed $138.7 million domestically and crossed $320 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. It is also now guaranteed to surpass «Weapons» ($151 million) as director Zach Cregger's highest-grossing film. Paramount's «Heart of the Beast» also held well, dropping 32% to $7.4 million. It has earned $50 million and looks to finish above $65 million domestically.
The weekend's biggest disappointment was Sony's «The Social Reckoning», which debuted in fifth place with just $5 million from 2,606 theaters. The film, a follow-up of sorts to 2010's «The Social Network», collapsed 78% compared to that film's $22.4 million opening. It also fared worse than Aaron Sorkin's last directed feature, «Molly's Game», which opened to $6.8 million. The result is especially painful given the film's $42 million budget.
Sony had hoped the connection to «The Social Network» would draw audiences, but the film was met with pure apathy. The original «The Social Network» was a massive success in 2010, earning $224 million worldwide and widespread acclaim. Writer Aaron Sorkin had expressed interest in a follow-up exploring how Facebook evolved, but the project faced numerous setbacks. Neither director David Fincher nor star Jesse Eisenberg returned; Fincher was busy with another project and had little interest in revisiting similar ground, while Eisenberg wanted to distance himself from Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin's directorial efforts have also been on a downward spiral, with «Being the Ricardos» disappointing after the well-received «Molly's Game» and «The Trial of the Chicago 7».
The subject matter itself may have been a hurdle. A film about the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz never gained much traction, and audiences seemed indifferent. Unlike the creation of Facebook, which was a compelling origin story, the leak saga lacked the same dramatic pull. As the title suggests, no real «reckoning» has occurred; Facebook remains dominant, and the issues raised have only grown more complex.