The Verity movie box office opening is shaping up to be one of the strongest of the autumn season. Amazon MGM’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling thriller “Verity” opened in theaters on Friday, October 2, 2026, and Deadline’s global preview pegs it for a $30 million-plus domestic debut across 3,510 theaters, plus $20 million to $25 million from 70 offshore territories — a $50 million to $55 million worldwide start.
Previews began Thursday at 2 p.m., according to Deadline via Yahoo News Canada. The film is directed by Michael Showalter and stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, with Ismael Cruz Córdova and Brady Wagner in supporting roles. It is the fourth big-screen adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel, following “It Ends With Us,” “Regretting You,” and “Reminders of Him.”
Verity Movie Box Office Opening: The Weekend Forecast
Deadline’s October 1 preview put the domestic opening at $30 million or more, with room to overperform on walk-up business. Offshore, Sony Pictures Releasing International — which is handling the film outside North America — is expected to add $20 million to $25 million. Combined, the Verity movie box office opening should land between $50 million and $55 million worldwide.
That would make “Verity” the second-biggest opening ever for a Colleen Hoover adaptation, according to Koimoi. The record belongs to “It Ends With Us,” which debuted to $50 million domestically in 2024; “Verity” is on track to clear the $17 million debut of “Reminders of Him” by a wide margin.
Verity Movie Box Office Opening Tops Digger’s Projections
Every major forecast has “Verity” winning the October 2 weekend outright. Box Office Theory pegs “Verity” at $24 million to $34 million domestic against just $7.5 million to $12.5 million for Tom Cruise’s “Digger,” while studio tracking cited by Koimoi has the matchup at $27 million to $30 million versus $12 million to $15 million. Variety’s own estimates for “Verity” sit at $30 million to $35 million, per Koimoi.
The gap is a striking one: a mid-budget R-rated thriller from Amazon MGM is expected to out-open a $160 million-plus Tom Cruise vehicle by roughly two to one. For the full picture on Cruise’s side of the weekend battle, see our report on the Digger Tom Cruise box office crash and its $12M opening projections.
From Bestseller to Big Screen: A Six-Year Journey
The road to the screen was long. The project was in development at Amazon Studios since November 2020, according to Deadline, with Michael Showalter — known for “The Big Sick” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” — signing on to direct in November 2024. For Hoover fans, the wait has been nearly as long as the book’s run on the bestseller lists.
Hoover’s 2021 novel was a departure from her romance roots: a gothic, psychosexual thriller that Amazon describes as being “in the vein of Rebecca and Gone Girl,” according to The Statesman — darker and more twisted than anything she had published before.
Darker Than Any Hoover Adaptation Before It
Unlike Hoover’s previous screen adaptations, which arrived as PG-13 romances, “Verity” is rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, violence, and bloody images, and runs about 114 minutes (1 hour 54 minutes), per The Statesman. The release date was moved from May 15 to October 2, according to The Statesman — a deliberate bid to plant the film in the autumn/horror season slot and chase an adult audience.
Amazon has also committed to a full theatrical run for the film before it lands on MGM+ and Prime Video, rather than the shortened windows streaming-first titles often get, according to SlashFilm.
Mixed Reviews, Praised Performances, Sleeper-Hit Potential
Early critical reaction has been divided. The film holds roughly 50 to 54 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, per Mandatory and SlashFilm. Critics have praised Hathaway’s and Johnson’s performances — Hathaway in particular singled out as a scene-stealer — but found the pacing uneven and the third act divisive, according to Mandatory.
Still, several outlets, including SlashFilm, have flagged “Verity” as a likely sleeper hit: a film that could leg out well beyond its opening weekend on the strength of Hoover’s enormous readership and strong audience word of mouth, even with critics split.
Strong Overseas Prospects: £4M–£5M UK Opening Forecast
Boxoffice Pro’s UK and Ireland forecast puts “Verity” at £4 million to £5 million for its opening weekend and £13 million to £18 million in total — comparing it favorably with the psycho-sexual thriller tradition of “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train,” though still below the £21.7 million UK total of “It Ends With Us.”
As always, these are projections — actuals will be confirmed when studios report estimates on Sunday and finals on Monday.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did “Verity” release?
“Verity” opened in theaters on October 2, 2026, distributed domestically by Amazon MGM Studios and internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing International. Previews began Thursday, October 1, at 2 p.m.
How much is “Verity” expected to make on its opening weekend?
Deadline projects a $30 million-plus domestic opening across 3,510 theaters and $20 million to $25 million from 70 offshore territories, for a $50 million to $55 million worldwide debut. Box Office Theory forecasts $24 million to $34 million domestic, with studio tracking at $27 million to $30 million.
Who stars in “Verity”?
Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett lead the cast, with Ismael Cruz Córdova and Brady Wagner in supporting roles. The film is directed by Michael Showalter and based on Colleen Hoover’s 2021 bestselling novel.
Is “Verity” appropriate for children?
No — “Verity” is rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, violence, and bloody images, and runs about 114 minutes. It is notably darker than Hoover’s previous PG-13 film adaptations.
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