Jeremy Strong texts Jessica Chastain after 'Other Mommy' beats 'The Social Reckoning' at Box Office

Jeremy Strong and Jessica Chastain have exchanged playful messages after their latest films, The Social Reckoning and Other Mommy, went head-to-head at the North American box office, with Chastain’s horror film emerging as the clear winner.

The longtime friends poked fun at each other’s performances after their respective films opened in cinemas on October 9. On October 12, Chastain shared a screenshot of their text exchange on Instagram, revealing how Strong reacted to the contrasting box-office results.

Strong, who stars as Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, sent Chastain a headline highlighting the success of Other Mommy over his film. The headline read, “Other Mommy Spanks The Social Reckoning at the Box Office.”

Chastain responded with “Omg”, prompting Strong to reply with a middle-finger emoji followed by a kissing-face emoji, making it clear that their exchange was friendly banter rather than a serious disagreement.

The pair continued joking about the images used in the coverage. Chastain commented that the pictures were “hysterical” and teased Strong about appearing particularly sad in his portrayal of Zuckerberg. Strong returned the favour by telling Chastain that she looked “INSANE” as Ursula, the sinister figure she plays in Other Mommy.

Their exchange offered a light-hearted moment amid the contrasting fortunes of their films. Other Mommy, directed by Rob Savage, topped the North American box office with $27.5 million from 3,365 theaters during its opening weekend. The supernatural horror film follows a young girl who encounters a terrifying entity that takes the appearance of her mother.

Despite receiving poor reviews from critics and audiences, the film exceeded box-office expectations. Its worldwide opening reached approximately $45.2 million, including $17.7 million from international markets.

Meanwhile, The Social Reckoning struggled to attract audiences, earning just $5.5 million from 2,606 North American theaters. The film, written and directed by Sorkin, follows a Facebook whistleblower whose revelations expose concerns about the social media platform.

Strong stars alongside Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White in the drama, which serves as a companion piece to 2010’s The Social Network. The original film, directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, earned more than $224 million worldwide and won three Academy Awards.

Chastain and Strong have been friends for more than two decades and have worked together on several films, including Zero Dark Thirty, Molly’s Game and Armageddon Time. Their friendship has also produced memorable moments away from the screen, including a viral video of the pair dancing to Madonna’s “Hung Up”.

Chastain has previously praised Strong as a passionate and inspiring actor, while Strong has spoken warmly about their longstanding friendship.

Their latest exchange demonstrates how the two actors can turn a box-office rivalry into a joke, even as their films experience very different opening weekends.