Sony's 'The Social Reckoning' opened to an estimated $5.5 million from 2,606 North American theaters, landing in fifth place behind four holdovers, according to Deadline. Variety frames it as a flop, noting the R-rated Aaron Sorkin drama had been projected to open to $7–8 million — returns that even then would have fallen far short of 2010's 'The Social Network,' which opened to over $22 million sixteen years ago. Overseas, Variety reports the film flatlined with $3.5 million from 29 markets, for a $9 million worldwide start against a $30 million production budget.

The film arrived with serious pedigree: Sorkin wrote and directed, with Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen, Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, and Jeremy Strong stepping in as Mark Zuckerberg. Variety notes Sony deliberately called the film a 'companion piece' rather than a sequel since David Fincher and Jesse Eisenberg did not return — and that the original is widely considered one of the best films of the 2010s, earning $224 million globally and four Oscars. CTV News, via The Associated Press, quotes Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian saying topical movies 'sometimes they resonate with the culture, sometimes they don't.'

Deadline reports the film took in just $650,000 from Thursday previews beginning at 4 p.m. — versus the $3.6 million that 'Other Mommy' drew — before a $2.3 million Friday. Exit polling was tepid: Deadline and Variety both report a B- CinemaScore, with Variety listing 54% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics and a 70% audience score, while Deadline cites PostTrak at 75% in the top two boxes and 75% male attendance concentrated on the coasts. Variety says the audience skewed toward older males, a demographic that has been slow to return to theaters since the pandemic.

Deadline's analysis argues the whistleblower story may simply have arrived too late: the Wall Street Journal stories and Haugen's congressional testimony date to 2021, 'well covered,' with no dramatic fallout for Facebook since — while AI now leads the national conversation. Variety quotes analyst David A. Gross of FranchiseRe saying stories about corporate intrigue, money and power 'have found a home on TV' and lack the cinematic qualities that excite big-screen audiences. Sony is cushioned by hits elsewhere: Variety notes 'Resident Evil' and 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' will offset any losses.

IGN reports Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' overtook 'Weapons' this weekend to become the director's highest-grossing film, reaching an estimated $320.2 million worldwide — $138.5 million domestic and $181.7 million international — against a reported $75 million budget. According to IGN, the surge was driven by its China premiere, which delivered $40.6 million of the film's $62.65 million fourth-weekend haul, and the film stands as the highest-rated video game adaptation of all time. IGN also flags upcoming October releases including Capcom's live-action 'Street Fighter' and DC's 'Clayface.'

Both new releases face poor word of mouth going forward — Variety says 'Other Mommy' scored one of the year's worst reviews at 19% on Rotten Tomatoes with a D+ CinemaScore, and 'The Social Reckoning' must combat the same drag. The broader market still offers comfort: Deadline reports the October 9–11 weekend totaled an estimated $85.157 million, and domestic box office crossed $8 billion year-to-date on Friday, October 9, up 19.6% from the same point in 2025. Variety says Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian expects things to 'heat up in November,' with 'Street Fighter,' 'Whalefall' and 'Clayface' hoping to jolt attendance before the holiday corridor.