Hollywood moves fast. Manny moves faster.
It’s a weekend of Hollywood surprises! Jessica Chastain’s Other Mommy is scaring up big bucks despite some truly terrifying audience reactions. Nicolas Cage is taking a stand against artificial intelligence, and two highly anticipated animated movies are generating buzz at the London Film Festival.
Plus, Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning is having trouble finding friends at the box office.
Grab your coffee, movie lovers. Here’s your Manny’s Movie News Now!
1. ‘OTHER MOMMY’ SCARES ITS WAY TO NUMBER ONE! HERE’S THE WEEKEND TOP 10!
Who needs glowing reviews when you’ve got a killer opening weekend?
Jessica Chastain’s supernatural thriller Other Mommy debuted at No. 1 with an estimated $27.5 million domestically, despite earning a dreadful D+ CinemaScore.
The Rob Savage-directed horror movie reportedly cost approximately $19 million to produce and has already earned about $45.2 million worldwide.
But here’s the delicious irony: audiences showed up to be scared, only to leave apparently less than thrilled!
Meanwhile, Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, slipped to second place with $11.5 million. And Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning opened with a disappointing $5.5 million.
THE TOP 10 MOVIES — OCTOBER 9–11, 2026
- OTHER MOMMY — $27.5 million
- VERITY — $11.5 million
- RESIDENT EVIL — $8.4 million
- HEART OF THE BEAST — $7.1 million
- THE SOCIAL RECKONING — $5.5 million
- FORGOTTEN ISLAND — $4.5 million
- PRIMETIME — $4 million
- DIGGER — $3.2 million
- ANGEL AND THE BADMAN — $2.1 million
- THE ODYSSEY — $2 million
Source: Associated Press/Rentrak. North American studio estimates; final numbers are expected Monday.
MANNY’S TAKE: Horror continues to be one of Hollywood’s most dependable theatrical genres. But a D+ CinemaScore? That’s a warning sign for next weekend!
And look at Forgotten Island still hanging in there at No. 6! I had the pleasure of interviewing its filmmakers and voice cast, including H.E.R. and Liza Soberano.
[MY FORGOTTEN ISLAND INTERVIEWS]
Meanwhile, I gave The Social Reckoning 3 KISSES, Digger 2½ KISSES, Verity 2 TRASHY KISSES, and Angel and the Badman 3 KISSES.
The lesson? Star power can get audiences into theaters, but word of mouth determines whether they keep coming back!
2. NICOLAS CAGE VS. AI: HOLLYWOOD’S NEXT BIG BATTLE?
Nicolas Cage has never been an actor who follows the crowd. And now he’s drawing a line in the sand when it comes to artificial intelligence.
During an appearance at New York Comic Con on Saturday, Cage said he refused to sign an AI waiver associated with his Prime Video series Spider-Noir.
He also suggested he probably wouldn’t work with Amazon again.
Cage’s comments come amid growing concerns about how artificial intelligence could affect actors’ performances, likenesses and creative control.
Amazon had not publicly confirmed the specific terms of the waiver in the reports reviewed. And while Spider-Noir was canceled after one season, there’s no confirmation that the alleged AI dispute caused that decision.
In another intriguing development, Cage hinted that he might join HBO’s True Detective. However, that casting has not been officially confirmed.
MANNY’S TAKE: Nicolas Cage has built an entire career on being gloriously, unmistakably Nicolas Cage. And frankly, that’s something no computer should be able to replace without his consent.
The bigger question is this: Who controls an actor’s face, voice and performance in an increasingly AI-driven Hollywood?
That’s a conversation worth having.
3. BRAD BIRD’S ‘RAY GUNN’ FINALLY TAKES FLIGHT!
It’s been decades in the making, and Brad Bird’s passion project Ray Gunn has finally arrived at the London Film Festival!
The filmmaker behind The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille is transporting audiences into a dazzling retro-futuristic world filled with flying cars, mysterious women and old-fashioned detective intrigue.
Sam Rockwell voices Raymond Gunn, a hard-boiled private detective whose latest assignment involves a glamorous singer voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Early reviews are encouraging, with critics praising Bird’s visual imagination, although some have questioned the film’s complicated storytelling.
Ray Gunn arrives in select theaters December 4 before streaming on Netflix December 18.
MANNY’S TAKE: A futuristic detective story from the man who gave us The Incredibles? Sign me up!
Brad Bird has always understood that animation isn’t simply a genre for children. It’s an extraordinary storytelling medium.
And the fact that critics are debating this movie makes me even more curious!
4. ‘WILDWOOD’ IS CASTING A SPELL ON CRITICS!
While much of Hollywood is obsessed with artificial intelligence, the artists at LAIKA are reminding us that there’s still extraordinary magic in making movies by hand.
The studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings has unveiled its latest stop-motion fantasy, Wildwood, at the London Film Festival.
Directed by Travis Knight, the movie follows a young girl who ventures into a mysterious forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother.
The voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan and Mahershala Ali.
And the early critical reaction? Very encouraging!
Reviewers have been particularly impressed by the film’s handcrafted visual world and ambitious animation.
Wildwood arrives in theaters October 23.
MANNY’S TAKE: There’s something wonderfully rebellious about making an enormous fantasy movie one tiny movement at a time.
In a world increasingly dominated by computer-generated imagery, LAIKA reminds us that the human touch still matters.
And I can’t wait to see it!
5. ‘HEAT 2’ IS HEATING UP WITH ‘THE BEAR’ STAR!
Michael Mann’s long-awaited Heat 2 continues to build anticipation.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, best known for his Emmy-winning performance on The Bear, was reported in late September to be in final negotiations to join the upcoming crime epic.
The actor is reportedly being considered for the role of Kelso, originally played by Tom Noonan in Mann’s 1995 classic.
The developing project is also expected to feature Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Stephen Graham.
Heat 2 will explore events before and after the original film, expanding the world of professional criminals and detectives that Mann made so unforgettable.
Moss-Bachrach’s casting has not been confirmed as a completed deal.
MANNY’S TAKE: Michael Mann returning to the world of Heat? Now that’s the kind of Hollywood sequel I can get excited about!
And with that potential cast, the expectations are going to be sky-high.
THAT’S TODAY’S MOVIE NEWS!
A monstrous mommy is ruling the box office, Nicolas Cage is challenging Hollywood’s AI future, and two very different animated films are reminding us why movies can still be magical.
And that’s what I love about this business.
One minute we’re talking about millions of dollars, and the next we’re debating whether machines can replace artists.
My answer? Technology can help make movies, but the heart, imagination and human connection are what make us fall in love with them.
Keep watching, keep dreaming, and most importantly, keep going to the movies!
Hollywood moves fast. Manny moves faster.
I’m Manny the Movie Guy, and I’ll see you next time on MANNY’S MOVIE NEWS NOW!
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