Box Office: 'Other Mommy' Earns $3.6 Million in Preview Screenings

The horror genre continues to dominate the box office in 2026, with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster leading the charge once again. Following successful horror releases earlier in the year such as "Obsession" and "Backrooms," the Jessica Chastain vehicle "Other Mommy" is poised to maintain this momentum. The film brought in $3.6 million from preview screenings across 2,850 domestic screens, setting the stage for a strong opening weekend.

Industry projections estimate that "Other Mommy" will open with an impressive $22 million to $28 million, though some optimistic forecasters believe it could reach as high as $35 million. This robust performance is expected to comfortably surpass last week's champion, the Colleen Hoover adaptation "Verity," which also features a chilling maternal dynamic with Anne Hathaway in the lead role.

Based on Josh Malerman's acclaimed 2024 novel "Incidents Around the House," "Other Mommy" follows a terrifying supernatural premise. Jessica Chastain plays Ursula, a mother whose young daughter Bela, played by Arabella Olivia Clark, and husband Russell, played by Jay Duplass, are terrorized by a malevolent entity identical to Ursula. The cast also features notable names such as Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, Karen Allen, and Sean Kaufman.

The film's marketing campaign has heavily contributed to its early traction, particularly a viral trailer featuring a striking jump scare from Chastain. This strong social media buzz has translated directly into ticket sales, cementing the adaptation as a major theatrical event for horror fans this season.

In contrast, the weekend's other major new release, Sony's "The Social Reckoning," is tracking for a much more modest debut. Directed by Aaron Sorkin and serving as a follow-up to the 2010 film "The Social Network," it earned $650,000 in previews and is projected to open in the low single digits between $5 million and $10 million.

"The Social Reckoning" chronicles the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen, portrayed by Mikey Madison. The star-studded cast also includes Jeremy Strong as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. Despite its pedigree, the drama is being vastly overshadowed by the box office dominance of "Other Mommy" at domestic theaters.

Ultimately, "Other Mommy" highlights the enduring commercial appeal of theatrical horror, proving that audiences continue to flock to spooky, supernatural thrillers on the big screen. As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on whether the film can hit the higher end of its box office projections and cement 2026 as one of the most lucrative years for the genre in recent history.