The Verity box office story is off to a promising start. Amazon MGM Studios’ adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling thriller pulled in $4.5 million in previews, setting up what looks like a solid opening weekend while Warner Bros.’ Digger entered theaters with far softer early numbers.
For fans of book-to-screen adaptations, this latest showdown says a lot about where audience demand is heading. While critics remain divided on Hoover adaptations, moviegoers continue to show up, and the early Verity box office response suggests the author’s fan base still carries major commercial power.
Verity Box Office Preview Numbers Signal a Strong Opening
Verity, starring Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, earned $4.5 million in overall previews, including early access screenings. Those showings began at 2 p.m., giving the R-rated thriller a healthy runway heading into the weekend.
In context, the Verity box office preview total lands in a sweet spot for a Colleen Hoover adaptation:
- It Ends With Us: $7 million in previews, $50 million opening weekend
- Verity: $4.5 million in previews, projected $30 million-plus opening
- Reminders of Him: $1.9 million in previews, $17.9 million opening
- Regretting You: no wide preview figure reported from 500 screens
That puts Verity behind Hoover’s biggest screen breakout, It Ends With Us, but clearly ahead of some of her other recent theatrical adaptations. For a dark psychological thriller with an R rating, that is a meaningful result.
Why the Numbers Matter
The Verity box office performance matters because it reinforces a trend studios can no longer ignore: Colleen Hoover adaptations have become an event category of their own. Even when critics hesitate, audiences—especially female moviegoers—continue to drive turnout.
That kind of consistency is valuable in today’s theatrical market, where recognizable IP, built-in fandom and social media momentum can make the difference between a modest opener and a major one.
Critics vs Audiences: A Familiar Colleen Hoover Pattern
One of the most interesting parts of the Verity box office conversation is the same split that has followed previous Hoover films. Critics have not embraced these adaptations with much enthusiasm, but audience reactions tell another story.
Earlier Hoover titles showed a clear gap between reviews and audience approval:
- It Ends With Us: 55% critics, 87% audience
- Reminders of Him: 56% critics, 87% audience
- Regretting You: 29% critics, 83% audience
That pattern suggests audience connection, emotional investment and fan loyalty often outweigh traditional critical reception. In other words, the Verity box office trajectory may depend less on reviews and more on word of mouth among Hoover readers and thriller fans.
Star Power Meets Bestseller Appeal
Verity also benefits from a cast that gives the adaptation broader appeal beyond the novel’s core readership. Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett bring name recognition, while the source material offers suspense, romance and psychological tension that can pull in casual moviegoers.
That combination could help the film sustain momentum if audience reaction remains strong through the weekend.
Digger Opens Soft and Faces an Uphill Battle
While the Verity box office outlook appears encouraging, the story is much tougher for Digger. The Warner Bros. release starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro Iñárritu brought in just $1.2 million in previews, a disappointing figure for a production reportedly budgeted between $125 million and $160 million or more.
Preview earnings for Digger came in below last fall’s One Battle After Another, which earned $3.1 million in previews before opening to $22 million. Current expectations suggest Digger may struggle to reach much beyond $10 million domestically in its opening frame.
Why Digger Is Underperforming
Several factors may be affecting the film’s early box office prospects:
- Genre challenge: A satire can be a tougher sell than a thriller with a bestselling literary hook.
- Mixed market positioning: Even with Tom Cruise attached, audiences may not have had a clear sense of what the movie is offering.
- Competition: Verity is arriving with stronger online buzz and a more defined target audience.
- Cost pressure: High-budget originals face more scrutiny when opening numbers are soft.
Although Digger did outperform the preview result of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, that is hardly the benchmark a major studio release would want.
What This Weekend Means for the Box Office
The contrast between these two films underlines a key theatrical lesson in 2026: audience alignment matters as much as prestige. The Verity box office momentum is being driven by a clear fan base, recognizable source material and strong curiosity around the adaptation. Digger, by comparison, appears to be fighting for attention in a market that rewards sharper positioning.
If Verity opens above $30 million, it will strengthen the case for more thriller and romance adaptations aimed at underserved theatrical audiences. It would also confirm that Colleen Hoover remains one of the most bankable contemporary authors at the multiplex.
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Conclusion
The early numbers show a clear winner. The Verity box office launch is tracking like another commercially potent Colleen Hoover adaptation, with preview grosses pointing to a strong opening weekend and continued audience appetite for emotionally charged literary thrillers. Meanwhile, Digger faces a much tougher road after a muted start. The big takeaway is simple: in today’s cinema landscape, built-in fandom and audience connection can still beat starry ambition at the box office.
