Other Mommy: Universal delays Rob Savage’s Josh Malerman adaptation, moving it to October 2026

A few months ago, it was announced that director Rob Savage would be moving on from a Stephen King adaptation to a Josh Malerman adaptation, as The Boogeyman director was set to helm a film adaptation of Bird Box author Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House, with Jessica Chastain (It Chapter Two) signed on to play a lead role. Since then, Jay Duplass (Transparent), Dichen Lachman (Severance), Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), and eight-year-old Arabella Olivia Clark, who will be seen in the upcoming film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, have joined the cast, and the film’s title has been revealed to be Other Mommy. The project was aiming for a May 8, 2026 theatrical release, but now The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Universal has decided to delay the release five months, pushing it back to October 9, 2026… which sounds like a much better date to me, giving the film a nice Halloween season release.

Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are producing Other Mommy in association with Spin a Black Yarn for Universal Pictures. Atomic Monster’s James Wan is producing, with Savage and Malerman serving as executive producers alongside Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher, and Ryan Lewis. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster. Succession writer Nathan Elston wrote the screenplay.

The story centers on 8-year-old Bela (Clark), who lives in a home strained by her parents’ troubled marriage, only to see her life further upended by a sinister entity she calls “Other Mommy.” When this malevolent presence emerges from her closet, persistently asking “Can I go inside your heart?”, Bela refuses. But soon, Other Mommy’s manifestations become increasingly aggressive, threatening the safety of Bela’s family. The “Other Mommy” aspect of this story somewhat brings to mind another Jessica Chastain horror movie, Mama, which features a supernatural entity referred to by children in Chastain’s care as “Mama.”

Sean Kaufman (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Adam Silver (The Diplomat), and Carrie Dimaculangan (FBI: International) are also said to be in the cast.

Here’s the full description of Malerman’s novel: To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?” When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay. Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel. But Other Mommy needs an answer. You can pick up a copy of the novel at THIS LINK.

What do you think of Other Mommy being delayed from May to October? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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