‘Verity’ Tops the Box Office Despite Brutal Reviews and a Rough CinemaScore

Hollywood has been in the Colleen Hoover business since 2024, when ‘It Ends With Us’ earned $351M at the worldwide box office. That film opened to around $50M, and every Hoover adaptation since has been measured against it. The author’s fans have proven to be among the most reliable ticket buyers in Hollywood.

Before the release of ‘Verity‘, the question was whether that loyalty would carry a psychological thriller. Forecasts were scattered. Box Office Theory estimated $24M to $34M, Amazon MGM projected $27M to $30M, and Variety forecast $30M to $35M. Reviews were not helping, either.

The answer came on Sunday. According to a post from Film Updates, ‘Verity’ debuted with $32.5M domestically and $62.5M at the worldwide box office, on a $40M production cost. The post pairs the numbers with a still of a dark-haired woman in a red top and red lipstick.

Weekend estimates put the domestic number at about $32.6M from 3,510 theaters, enough for No. 1. The film earned $4.5M in previews, followed by $15.1M on Friday, $10M on Saturday and $7.5M on Sunday. Variety expects it to turn a profit for Amazon MGM.

‘VERITY’ debuts with $32.5M domestically and $62.5M at the worldwide box office. It cost $40M to produce. https://t.co/fkilDqKbuw

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 4, 2026

The opening is the second-best for a Hoover adaptation, behind the $50M debut of ‘It Ends With Us’. It beat ‘Regretting You’, which opened to $13.6M, and ‘Reminders of Him’, which opened to $17.9M. Women made up roughly 78% to 79% of the opening-weekend audience.

It is also a milestone for the cast. Dakota Johnson, who hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ the night before, has her best domestic debut in 8 years, since ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ opened to $38.6M. Anne Hathaway now has her third No. 1 movie of 2026 after ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Odyssey’, in a year when ‘Verity’ is her fifth release.

The film also helped crowd out the competition. Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ opened to just $8M, his lowest opening in 19 years. ‘Resident Evil’ held second place with $12.5M, lifting its total to $124.9M domestically, while ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ dropped 83% in its second weekend.

The strong opening comes with a lot of caveats. ‘Verity’ holds a 34% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences are warmer at 70%. It also earned a C+ CinemaScore, the lowest of any Hoover adaptation so far.

The most common criticism is that director Michael Showalter plays it safe. Reviewers said the film never commits to the trashy, campy tone the material seems to demand. One outlet called the pacing slow, saying it takes more than an hour to reach a low boil.

Hathaway has been the film’s bright spot. Several reviewers singled her out for a campy performance that holds the movie together, even as they felt it should have gotten weirder. Johnson and Hartnett were described as doing good work as Lowen Ashleigh and Jeremy Crawford.

That combination of strong fan turnout and weak word of mouth suggests a front-loaded run. The fans who came for Hoover may not spread enthusiasm to anyone else. Next weekend brings the Jessica Chastain-led ‘Other Mommy’ as new competition.

Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett star in an all-new trailer for #Verity. In theaters October 2. https://t.co/niq02J5nO5

— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) August 11, 2026

The film follows Lowen, a struggling writer hired to ghostwrite the book series of a celebrated author, Verity Crawford, after a serious accident leaves her unable to finish it. Showalter directed from a script by Nick Antosca, based on Hoover’s novel. It is the author’s first thriller to reach theaters.

Even with a rough reception, a $62.5M worldwide start on a $40M budget is a solid result.

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