Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Monday, October 12, 2026
Other Mommy Opens at No. 1 with $27.5 Million Despite Dismal Reviews
Universal’s horror film Other Mommy, starring Jessica Chastain, opened at No. 1 in North America with $27.5 million from 3,365 theaters despite dismal reviews, according to Deadline. The Rob Savage film from producer James Wan and Blumhouse Atomic Monster was made on a $19 million budget and drew $3.6 million in Thursday previews. Deadline reported that tracking was strong out of the gate with an effective campaign, though the film earned a D+ CinemaScore. Audiences were 51% male, with 18- to 24-year-olds the largest cohort at 38%. The October 9–11 domestic marketplace was estimated at $85.157 million, up 18.5% from the comparable 2025 weekend.
The Social Reckoning Flops with $5.5 Million Debut for Aaron Sorkin
Sony’s The Social Reckoning, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, flopped with a $5.5 million debut in fifth place, Variety reports. The R-rated Facebook drama had been projected to open to $7 million to $8 million, and it added $3.5 million from 29 overseas markets for a $9 million worldwide start. It holds a 54% Rotten Tomatoes score and a B- CinemaScore, with ticket buyers mostly older males. Sony called the film a “companion piece” to 2010’s The Social Network, which opened to $22 million, and economized with a $30 million price tag. Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White star.
Resident Evil Tops Global Box Office, Becomes Zach Cregger’s Biggest Film
Sony/Constantin’s Resident Evil topped the global weekend box office in its fourth frame with $62.7 million worldwide, propelled by its China release, Deadline reports. China delivered $40.6 million, which Deadline said repped the best opening for a horror film in the last two years. The film’s worldwide total reached $320.2 million, making it Zach Cregger’s highest-grossing movie ever, ahead of Weapons at $270 million. Resident Evil opened in Japan with $3.6 million, and its overall international cume stands at $181.7 million across 67 offshore markets. Imax contributed $8.8 million this weekend, with $7.7 million of that coming from China.
Domestic Box Office Passes $8 Billion, 59 Days Earlier Than 2025
The U.S. and Canada box office clicked past the $8 billion mark on Friday, Deadline reports. Citing Rentrak, Deadline said 2026 hit the milestone in 282 days, matching the exact pace of 2011 and reaching it a full 59 days earlier than in 2025. For the January 1–October 11 period, the domestic box office stands at $8.07 billion, 20% ahead of the same period in 2025 at $6.75 billion. Last year finaled at $8.87 billion. Many box office sources have forecast that 2026 will final at $10 billion. Spider-Man: Brand New Day leads the year’s domestic chart with $956.8 million.
Neon’s Palme d’Or Winner Fjord Opens to $124,000 as Awards Rollout Begins
Neon’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Fjord, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, opened to $124,000 on four screens in New York and Los Angeles, Deadline reports. The Cristian Mungiu drama is the director’s second Palme d’Or and Neon’s seventh consecutive win, and it is Romania’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature. Deadline said the start bested Neon’s Anatomy of a Fall. Neon is planning a multi-category awards campaign and will roll the film out over the next four weeks. Elsewhere, A24’s Misty Green from Chris Rock took $85,700 on six screens, and Bleecker Street eyed about $70,000 for Alex Gibney’s Musk.
Self-Distributed Documentary NAZA Set to Cross $500,000
NAZA, the self-distributed documentary about Israel’s attacks on Gaza, will cross $500,000 over two weeks of release, IndieWire reports. After earning more than $125,000 over its first eight days at New York’s IFC Center, it expanded to 85 theaters in 30 cities, earning $298,240 over the three-day weekend and an estimated $378,200 over the four-day holiday. IndieWire said the film was too controversial for prominent indie studios to pick up. Distribution is led by producers The Guardian and mk2, who have said it will begin streaming free on The Guardian’s website in November. It comes from No Other Land’s Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham.
John Malkovich Says Oscar Campaigning Is Now the Only Way to Get Audiences Into Theaters
John Malkovich, highly tipped for an Oscar nomination for Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, said awards campaigning now drives moviegoing. Speaking at a London Film Festival Screen Talk on Sunday, the 72-year-old actor said, “now, that’s the only way to get people to go to the theaters,” adding that the effort runs “months and months and months.” Variety reports Malkovich contrasted today with his past nominations for Places in the Heart (1984) and In the Line of Fire (1993), when films had already made their money. Malkovich took home the best actor prize at Venice, where Wild Horse Nine first premiered in September.
Prime Video Takes UK and Ireland Rights to Princess Diana Tapes Series
Prime Video has scooped the UK and Ireland rights to a documentary series built on unheard audio of Princess Diana, Deadline reports. The streamer will launch the three-parter as Diana: Her Secret Confessions; it is being sold internationally as Diana Unheard, with Cineflix Rights handling distribution. Producer Love Monday TV gained access to tapes Diana secretly recorded with her friend James Colthurst in 1991, about five hours of audio in all. Viewers will hear Diana discuss King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and her sons. Love Monday TV’s Kerene Barefield said the series “reclaims and reframes her own story, in her own words.”
Zee 5 Global Releases Sumo Didi Trailer Ahead of October 23 Streaming Debut
Zee 5 Global has released the trailer for the streaming launch of Indian sports film Sumo Didi, Deadline reports. The film, which released theatrically in 2023, is based on the life of Hetal Dave, India’s first professional female sumo wrestler. Directed by Jayant Rohatgi and starring Shriyam Bhagnani in the titular role, it will premiere on Zee 5 Global on October 23. The Hindi-language film from Jio Studios, Fresh Lime Films and MA+TH Entertainment Networks played the Tokyo International and Palm Springs International film festivals but has not released widely. Rohatgi called it “an inspiring underdog story of grit, resilience and rising from the depths of despair.”
Domestic Box Office Top 20 — Weekend of October 9–11, 2026
Weekend estimates, North America
| # | Title | Distributor | Wk | Weekend | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Mommy | Universal | 1 | $27.5M | $27.5M |
| 2 | Verity | Amazon MGM | 2 | $11.5M | $53.9M |
| 3 | Resident Evil | Sony | 4 | $8.35M | $138.5M |
| 4 | Heart of the Beast | Paramount | 3 | $7.1M | $49.6M |
| 5 | The Social Reckoning | Sony | 1 | $5.5M | $5.5M |
| 6 | Forgotten Island | Universal | 3 | $4.5M | $30.3M |
| 7 | Primetime | A24 | 3 | $4.0M | $41.0M |
| 8 | Digger | Warner Bros. | 2 | $3.2M | $14.4M |
| 9 | Angel and the Bad Man | Angel Studios | 1 | $2.06M | $2.06M |
| 10 | The Odyssey | Universal | 13 | $2.0M | $623M |
| 11 | Pan’s Labyrinth 20th Anniversary | Fathom | 1 | $1.66M | $1.66M |
| 12 | Avengers: Endgame Encore (2026 Re-release) | Disney | 3 | $1.40M | $39.1M |
| 13 | Practical Magic 2 | Warner Bros. | 5 | $1.36M | $67.3M |
| 14 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Sony | 11 | $1.02M | $956.4M |
| 15 | Queen Live in Budapest | Trafalgar | 1 | $681K | $681K |
| 16 | The History of Concrete | — | 4 | $340K | $1.89M |
| 17 | Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Orion | 3 | $310K | $920K |
| 18 | Naza | Self-distributed | 2 | $298K | $416K |
| 19 | Daniel and the Fiery Furnace | EKKL | 4 | $253K | $8.10M |
| 20 | 9 to 5 (2026 Re-release) | 20th Century | 1 | $150K | $150K |
Sources: Deadline (ranks 1–10), Box Office Mojo (ranks 11–20)
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency