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) and Dichen Lachman (Severance) have joined the cast, and it’s become increasingly obvious that the filmmakers didn’t intend to use the title Incidents Around the House. Now, it’s official: Deadline reports that the film is called Other Mommy. It has also been revealed that eight-year-old Arabella Olivia Clark, who will be seen in the upcoming film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, has landed a lead role.
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.”
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.
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