Other Mommy Tops Box Office, Social Reckoning Flops

The Weekend in Numbers

Universal’s Other Mommy topped the North American box office for the weekend of October 9–11, 2026, with $27.5 million from 3,365 theatres — a bigger audience than expected. Verity (Amazon/MGM) took second with $11.5 million, a drop of roughly 64% from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic total to about $53.9 million after two weekends. Resident Evil (Sony) added $8.4 million in third place for a domestic total near $138.5 million after four weekends.

The Brad Pitt survival thriller Heart of the Beast (Paramount) took fourth with $7.1 million. The Social Reckoning (Sony), written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, opened to an estimated $5.5 million from 2,606 North American theatres — a lacklustre start for a high-profile adult drama. Rounding out the top ten: Forgotten Island at $4.5 million, Primetime at $4.0 million, Digger at $3.2 million, Angel and the Badman at $2.1 million, and The Odyssey at $2.0 million. These are studio estimates, which are subject to revision when final numbers are released on Monday.

Why ‘Other Mommy’ Won Despite Bad Reviews

Other Mommy is an Anne Hathaway psychological thriller about a sinister supernatural creature that terrorises a young girl who believes it is her mother. The film received dismal reviews from both critics and audiences, joining the ranks of Megalopolis and Hereditary with a D+ CinemaScore. Yet it still opened well above expectations, demonstrating that genre films with recognizable stars can overcome negative reviews — particularly when the marketing creates a clear, compelling hook.

The D+ CinemaScore suggests that audiences who saw the film in its opening weekend were not enthusiastic, which could affect word-of-mouth in the weeks ahead. But the strong opening weekend indicates that the campaign successfully drove curious viewers into theatres on Friday and Saturday, which is often the most important factor for a film’s financial performance. The $27.5 million debut will likely cover a significant portion of the production budget, making the film a probable commercial success even if it fades quickly.

What ‘The Social Reckoning’ Result Means for Adult Dramas

Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, which dramatises a Facebook whistleblower leaking incriminating documents to a Wall Street Journal reporter, opened to a disappointing $5.5 million from 2,606 theatres. For a film with a major writer-director and a timely subject matter, the result underscores the difficulty adult-oriented dramas face at the current box office.

Adult dramas — films aimed at older, more sophisticated audiences — have struggled to draw crowds in recent years, as theatrical audiences have skewed younger and gravitated toward franchise films, horror, and comedies. The The Social Reckoning opening suggests that even a recognised name like Sorkin and a subject as contemporary as social media whistleblowing may not be enough to overcome that trend. The film may find a second life on streaming platforms, where adult dramas often perform better than they do in theatres.

How the Wider 2026 Box Office Is Tracking

The annual domestic box office crossed the $8 billion mark on Friday, October 9, 2026 — a notable milestone. Year-over-year, 2026 is tracking up more than 19% from 2025, indicating a strong recovery from the pandemic-era lows. However, cumulative grosses remain about 8% behind 2019, the last fully pre-pandemic year, meaning the market has not yet returned to its former peak.

The strong 2026 performance has been driven by a mix of franchise films, horror releases, and original titles that managed to break through. The Resident Evil franchise continues to perform reliably, while horror and thriller films like Other Mommy have attracted solid audiences. The overall health of the box office suggests that theatrical exhibition remains viable, but the market is more selective than it was before 2020 — films need either a strong IP hook or effective marketing to succeed.

Studio Estimates and Monday Revisions

It is important to note that all figures in this article are studio estimates. Studios report their own estimates over the weekend, and these numbers are often revised downward or upward when final tallies are released on Monday. The rankings themselves are unlikely to change, but individual weekend grosses may shift by a few hundred thousand dollars in either direction.

Looking Ahead

The October box office continues to build momentum heading into the holiday season. With Other Mommy overperforming and Resident Evil holding steady, the month is shaping up well for studios. The disappointment of The Social Reckoning may give pause to studios planning adult drama releases for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, potentially shifting those releases to streaming premieres or smaller theatrical windows. The coming weeks will bring a mix of horror titles, family films, and awards-season contenders that will determine whether 2026 can close the gap on 2019 levels.