Amazon MGM's 'Verity' Opens Strong at Box Office Despite Mixed Reception
Amazon MGM Studios' psychological thriller "Verity" has claimed the top spot at the North American box office, opening with an estimated $32.6 million from 3,510 theaters, according to Seat42F. The film, directed by Michael Showalter and starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, finished more than $20 million ahead of second-place "Resident Evil," while the weekend's other new release, Tom Cruise's "Digger," entered the Top 5 with a much softer debut. The opening weekend exceeded early projections, which had ranged from $25 million to $35 million, as reported by planetoffilms.com. Media Play News noted that the 'R'-rated thriller was expected to top the weekend with $27 million, but actual results came in higher. The film's Friday gross was $14.5 million, including $4.5 million in previews, tracking toward a $32 million opening at 3,510 sites, according to El-Balad. "Verity" accounts for the vast majority of that as it earned $15 million from 3,510 locations on opening day. That opening-day figure, reported by Whatfinger, helped push the overall weekend box office up 17% from last year, with approximately $40 million combined from the two newcomers. The five leading films earned a combined $72,118,861 for the weekend ending October 4, per Seat42F, with last week's winner, "Avengers Endgame: Encore," falling out of the Top 5. Despite the strong commercial performance, the film has faced harsh criticism. Comic Basics reported that "Verity" topped the box office despite brutal reviews and a rough CinemaScore, noting that Hollywood has been in the Colleen Hoover business since 2024, when "It Ends With Us" earned $351 million worldwide. That film opened to around $50 million, and every Hoover adaptation since has been measured against it, with the author's fans proving to be among the most reliable ticket buyers in Hollywood. The adaptation, based on Hoover's bestselling novel, follows Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete the unfinished book series of bestselling author Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway, according to planetoffilms.com. After moving into the Crawford family home, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript, a plot point that has clearly resonated with audiences even as critics have balked. UPI confirmed the film's No. 1 position with $32.6 million in receipts this weekend, as announced by BoxOfficeMojo.com.
7 sources · 6 Oct
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