Other Mommy Box Office: $3.6M Previews, Soft Rival Start

Horror is winning the weekend. Universal's "Other Mommy" opened in more than 3,200 North American theaters on October 9 and pulled in $3.6 million in Thursday previews, putting it on track for a $20 million to $24 million opening weekend, according to early Other Mommy box office tracking reported by Archynetys.

Directed by Rob Savage and starring Jessica Chastain in a dual role as a mother and the menace stalking her daughter, the film is doing exactly what mid-budget horror does best: turning a modest budget into a big opening. With Halloween season in full swing, the timing could not be better, and word of mouth from Thursday night audiences will decide how high the final number climbs.

Other Mommy box office numbers beat the field

The $3.6 million preview figure puts "Other Mommy" firmly in hit territory. Tracking services including Deadline, Variety and Boxoffice Pro had pegged the film's opening in the $20 million to $24 million range, and a strong Thursday night suggests the high end of that forecast is in play, reported by multiple trade outlets.

Horror has been the most reliable genre at the box office for years, and this weekend is no exception. Audiences keep showing up for original scary movies, especially ones with a hook as juicy as Chastain playing both protector and predator. The film's October release date was a deliberate play for the pre-Halloween crowd, and so far the bet is paying off.

If the weekend estimate holds, "Other Mommy" will be one of the stronger horror openings of the fall, giving Universal a solid win as studios head into the crowded holiday corridor.

The Social Reckoning starts soft

The weekend's other big release is having a much tougher time. Sony's "The Social Reckoning," Aaron Sorkin's follow-up exploring the social media world, is tracking toward just $7 million to $8 million in its opening weekend from roughly 2,500 theaters, according to tracking reported by TheWrap and Variety.

That is less than half of the $22.4 million that "The Social Network" opened to back in 2010, an unfavorable comparison the film cannot escape. The new movie stars Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, and reviews have praised the performances while questioning whether the story offers anything genuinely new about the platforms it dissects.

The film holds a 64 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is respectable but not the kind of number that drives casual moviegoers to theaters. For a movie about the attention economy, it is struggling to hold anyone's attention.

What the weekend means for the box office

The split screen between the two films tells a familiar story about what moviegoers want right now. Original horror with a clear premise is thriving, while prestige dramas about tech culture are having a harder time justifying a trip to the theater. Audiences will stream the think pieces; they will buy tickets for the scares.

Final weekend numbers land on Monday, and horror openings can swing on Friday-to-Saturday momentum. If "Other Mommy" overperforms its Thursday previews the way the genre often does, the $24 million ceiling could be in reach.

The Other Mommy box office playbook keeps working

Studios have learned that horror is the safest bet in town, and the Other Mommy box office run is the latest proof. A clear premise, a recognizable star, and an October release date are a formula that keeps printing money, even as bigger-budget genres struggle to get audiences off the couch. The Other Mommy box office numbers show that originality still sells when it comes with a good scare.

For Universal, the math is simple. A mid-budget horror film that opens above $20 million is already a win before it sells a single streaming subscription, and the Other Mommy box office trajectory suggests the studio will keep this pipeline flowing. Expect more original horror on the calendar next fall, because this weekend's results will be cited in every greenlight meeting for months.

Hollywood's release calendar keeps the hits coming, but this weekend belongs to the horror fans. Grab your popcorn, and maybe sit near the aisle.