A diverse crop of major films arrived in cinemas and on home streaming platforms Friday, Oct. 9, highlighted by a supernatural horror feature, an Aaron Sorkin drama, and new star-driven releases from Ben Affleck and Steven Spielberg.
Universal Pictures kicked off its theatrical run for director Rob Savage’s horror film “Other Mommy,” starring Jessica Chastain. The film brought in $3.6 million from Thursday preview screenings across North America, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Operating with a $19 million production budget, the studio projected a $20 million opening across 3,200 theaters, even as the title received mixed-to-negative reception, holding an 18 percent approval mark on Rotten Tomatoes.
Theatrical drama faces uphill climb
Also premiering nationwide in cinemas is Sony Pictures’ “The Social Reckoning,” directed and written by Sorkin as a fact-based follow-up to his 2010 hit “The Social Network.” The $30 million production gathered $650,000 in Thursday evening previews, with tracking pointing toward an opening frame around $7 million across 2,600 locations, The Hollywood Reporter noted.
The film dramatizes the Wall Street Journal’s publication of the Facebook Files, following a whistleblower played by Mikey Madison and a reporter portrayed by Jeremy Allen White. Jeremy Strong steps into the role of Mark Zuckerberg, previously played by Jesse Eisenberg. Critics have had a divided reaction to the movie, which holds a 57 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers debating the film’s conventional procedural style against the impact of Madison’s lead performance.
Streaming platforms land major fall originals
Audiences remaining at home also have several prominent new options. Netflix launched “Animals,” a kidnapping crime drama directed and co-written by Ben Affleck, who stars alongside Kerry Washington, Decider reported. The narrative centers on an aspiring Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose political aspirations collide with a crisis after his child is abducted, forcing the parents to scramble for ransom money.
Apple TV introduced “Matchbox: The Movie,” an action comedy inspired by the classic toy line. Directed around a cast featuring John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, and Arturo Castro, the plot involves a spy who reunites with childhood friends after being falsely accused of stealing a nuclear weapon, Decider and The Boston Globe reported.
Meanwhile, Peacock became the exclusive streaming home for Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller “Disclosure Day,” which had previously debuted in theaters earlier in the year. The ensemble film stars Emily Blunt as a meteorologist and Josh O’Connor as a cybersecurity specialist attempting to reveal evidence of extraterrestrial contact, while Colin Firth portrays an operative attempting to keep the secret hidden.
For digital home rentals and purchases, Sony and Marvel’s blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” also landed on digital platforms this week, Yahoo reported, offering home viewers access to the top-grossing domestic release of all time.
Whether “Other Mommy” can hit its box office projections and how well digital viewership holds for Netflix and Peacock will become clearer as initial weekend streaming metrics and official ticket sales are tabulated over the coming days.
