Following a string of successful horror releases including “Obsession,” “Backrooms,” and “Resident Evil,” the genre continues to dominate the 2026 box office. With Halloween approaching, Universal Pictures’ supernatural thriller “Other Mommy” seized the top spot on Friday, earning $12.6 million from 3,365 theaters across North America.
The Blumhouse-Atomic Monster production, which carries an $18 million budget, features Jessica Chastain in a dual role as both the real mother, Ursula, and the eerie entity known as the “Other Mommy.” The film is adapted from Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House” and also stars Jay Duplass as Russell, Arabella Olivia Clark as Bela, and includes performances by Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, Karen Allen, and Sean Kaufman. Industry projections suggest the movie could add another $28 million by Sunday.
In fourth place, Aaron Sorkin’s corporate drama “The Social Reckoning” earned $2.15 million from 2,606 theaters on its opening Friday. The film, which chronicles whistleblower Frances Haugen’s 2021 leak, stars Mikey Madison as Haugen, Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeremy Allen White as journalist Jeff Horwitz. Additional cast members include Bill Burr, Betty Gilpin, and Billy Magnussen.
The movie has received mixed critical reception since its premiere earlier this week. Variety critic Guy Lodge described it as a “diverting-enough, clever-enough, true-enough examination” that highlights “The Social Network” as Sorkin’s peak writing achievement while noting it diverged from his typical style. The studio expects the film to gross approximately $6 million domestically over the weekend.
Amazon MGM’s “Verity” held the second position with $4 million in Friday earnings. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel and starring Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, and Dakota Johnson, the psychological thriller is projected to reach $14.2 million by Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million.
Rounding out the top five, Columbia Pictures’ “Resident Evil” directed by Zach Cregger, pulled in $2.32 million for a third-place finish. The zombie horror film, featuring Austin Abrams as a medical courier navigating a biological outbreak, is aiming for $8.2 million over the weekend. Its cumulative domestic gross now stands at $138.37 million.
In fifth place, Paramount Pictures’ “The Heart of the Beast” grossed $1.96 million. Directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt as a retired veteran surviving an Alaskan plane crash with his combat dog, the adventure film is expected to add $6.91 million by Sunday, pushing its total to $49.47 million.
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