Horror is set to lead the North American box office this weekend, with Jessica Chastain’s Other Mommy projected to open at US$20 million. Meanwhile, The Social Reckoning, a follow-up to The Social Network, is expected to have a more modest debut of US$8 million.
Directed by Rob Savage, Other Mommy is rated R and will open in around 3,200 theatres. The film is backed by Universal, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. Its reported production budget is US$19 million, giving it a lower cost base than several recent studio releases.
The Social Reckoning is directed by Aaron Sorkin and explores Facebook, including whistleblower Frances Haugen’s role in exposing the company’s practices. Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison portrays Haugen. Jeremy Allen White also stars as a journalist.
The film is projected to open in around 2,200 theatres. Its reported production budget is between US$30 million and US$42 million, before marketing costs, with Alcon financing half of the production. The forecast points to a challenging start for a film with a higher budget than Other Mommy.
Deadline’s box office preview also reported a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score for The Social Reckoning, compared with 96% for the original The Social Network. The sequel is expected to earn another US$6 million overseas across 92% of its international release footprint.
Other films opening this weekend include Angel and the Badman, which is set to play in around 2,000 theatres, and a re-release of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth at 1,008 locations.
Meanwhile, Verity is forecast to earn about US$12 million in its second weekend, a drop of at least 60% from its opening. The film had collected US$37.9 million at the domestic box office through Tuesday.
The weekend’s box office competition will also include NFL games and the MLB playoffs. With no major tentpole release expected to dominate the market, Other Mommy has a clear opportunity to take the top spot, while The Social Reckoning will need to build momentum beyond its projected opening.
