Box office preview: 'Verity' eyed for $30–35 million debut over Cruise's 'Digger'
Amazon MGM's Colleen Hoover adaptation "Verity," starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is projected to open around $30–35 million this weekend, Variety reports, while Warner Bros.' Tom Cruise satire "Digger" is tracking a soft $12–15 million — figures that are forecasts, not results.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Colleen Hoover thriller "Verity" is on track to lead the weekend box office, while Tom Cruise's environmental satire "Digger" looks like a costly misfire — according to pre-release projections, not final grosses.
What the forecasts say: Variety, citing industry tracking, projects Amazon MGM's "Verity" at about $30 million to $35 million from 3,510 theaters. That would be Anne Hathaway's third No. 1 opening this year after "The Devil Wears Prada 2" and "The Odyssey," Variety said. Warner Bros.' "Digger" is projected at roughly $12 million to $15 million from about 3,300 screens.
About the films: "Verity," directed by Michael Showalter, co-stars Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett and was produced for about $40 million. Reviews are mixed; Variety's Guy Lodge called it "listless." "Digger," from Alejandro González Iñárritu, was greenlit around $125 million; four sources told Variety the budget climbed to $160–180 million after delays. A Warner Bros. spokesperson disputes those figures.
Why it matters
The split weekend tests whether mid-budget book adaptations still outperform expensive star vehicles when reviews sour — and it lands as Warners' ownership change nears.
What’s next
Sunday afternoon studio estimates, then Monday actuals. US Brief will refresh once official weekend figures post.
More context
Studio stakes: A movie of "Digger's" reported scale would typically need an opening near $40 million to justify the spend, box-office experts told Variety. Warners is embracing negative reviews in ads telling audiences to "decide for yourself." Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. is set to close next week, Variety noted.
Hoover track record: Among prior Hoover adaptations, "It Ends With Us" opened to $50 million; "Reminders of Him" and "Regretting You" opened lower. Those are past results; this weekend's numbers are still projections.
2 listed sources
- Variety (Rebecca Rubin), Sep 30, 2026: Box Office — Verity aims for $35 million debut; Digger could bomb
- Sourcing note: Preview projections only. Replace with Sunday estimates / Monday actuals after the weekend. Warner Bros. disputes the elevated Digger budget figures Variety cited from sources.
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
All opening figures are Variety projections (Rebecca Rubin), Sep 30, 2026, for the Oct 2–4 weekend — not actuals. Sunday studio estimates and Monday actuals will supersede. Digger budget range $160–180M attributed to four sources; Warner Bros. disputes. Reviews summary attributed to Variety. Paramount-WBD close timing noted as Variety context.
Like US Brief? You can support it with a tip.