Universal Pictures India, distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery, is bringing a new horror film titled Other Mommy to cinemas on 9th October 2026. The film comes from filmmaker and horror creator James Wan and Blumhouse Atomic Monster, with Rob Savage directing. The movie stars Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain in a challenging dual role, playing Bela’s mother as well as the terrifying entity known as Other Mommy.
The story follows Bela, a young girl who encounters a mysterious presence inside her home. The entity looks almost exactly like her mother and slowly develops a connection with Bela. What initially appears to be a relationship between the child and a familiar figure soon becomes something much more frightening. Bela eventually finds herself being hunted by the same presence that has entered her life, creating a disturbing situation where she cannot be sure who she can trust.
Based on the bestselling novel by Josh Malerman, Other Mommy explores the fear of something familiar becoming dangerous. Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela, while Jay Duplass plays her father Daddo. The supporting cast includes Dichen Lachman as paranormal scientist Lois Anthony, Arian Moayed as family friend Uncle Frank and Karen Allen as Bela’s grandmother Ruth. Sean Kaufman, Adam Silver and Alec Secareanu also feature in the film.
Jessica Chastain has revealed how she created the unsettling appearance and behaviour of Other Mommy. Speaking about the preparation for the role, Chastain says, “In prep, I started thinking about the reality of Other Mommy. It is trying to appear warm and gentle to Bela, but I imagined it might be painful for this entity to hold the shape of something it is not. I found this unblinking smile in the mirror, and then the tears started coming, which created this strange contrast between what Other Mommy is presenting and what is underneath.”
Chastain also recalled the reaction of a child who saw her in the terrifying look for the first time. “At one point, a child came into the trailer,” Chastain says. “I made the face and he immediately screamed. Rob said, ‘That is Other Mommy.’ From there, every physical choice came from what it might feel like for this entity to present itself as everything Bela wishes her mother could be.”
For Chastain, the most disturbing part of the story is the idea of a parent being replaced by something sinister. She says, “What makes Other Mommy so terrifying is the idea of a parent being replaced by something sinister. There is also this question of whether Bela is seeing Other Mommy or a darker side of Mommy, and the fact that she cannot always tell is unsettling.”
Directed by Rob Savage, Other Mommy combines a familiar family setting with a supernatural threat. With Jessica Chastain playing both sides of the central relationship, the film explores the fear of seeing someone who looks familiar but may not be who they appear to be. Other Mommy will release in cinemas in India on 9th October 2026.
