‘Verity’ CinemaScore Revealed and Its Impact on Colleen Hoover’s Audience

Avatar photoHrvoje Milakovic
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Adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s works often create a divide between critics and audiences, and this trend continues to be a captivating aspect of the current box office landscape. ‘Verity’ marks the fourth film adaptation of Hoover’s novels to hit theaters. Previous releases, such as ‘It Ends With Us’, have demonstrated that critical reception has little sway over the dedicated fanbase, and each subsequent film has had to reaffirm this notion.

This latest installment is a psychological thriller featuring a star-studded cast. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film stars Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who relocates to the estate of renowned author Verity Crawford, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, to ghostwrite her memoir. Josh Hartnett also joins the cast in this R-rated feature, which was produced with a budget of $40 million.

The audience has now shared their thoughts. CinemaScore announced on X on October 3 that ‘Verity’ received a C+ grade. This announcement came shortly after the film’s opening night, during which it was already on track for the highest weekend earnings of any wide release.

The figures shed light on why this grade is noteworthy. ‘Verity’ raked in $4.5 million during previews and followed up with $14.5 million on Friday, which includes those previews, according to Deadline. This positions the film for a potential $32 million opening weekend across 3,510 theaters, significantly outpacing Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’, which was projected to earn around $10 million.

This outcome is remarkable for a film that critics have not embraced. Currently, ‘Verity’ holds a 41% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 88 reviews, alongside a 45 on Metacritic. It stands out as the only one of Hathaway’s five releases in 2026 to be labeled as “rotten.”

Many critics highlighted Hathaway’s performance as the film’s standout feature, with ScreenRant even declaring it the best adaptation of Hoover’s work to date. In contrast, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter offered much harsher critiques, labeling it a disappointment. This polarized response mirrors the mixed reactions to the books that inspired the film.

Looking at Hoover’s previous films provides helpful context. ‘It Ends With Us’ debuted with $50 million, while ‘Reminders of Him’ opened at $17.9 million and ‘Regretting You’ at $13.6 million. A $32 million opening would position ‘Verity’ as the second highest among the four adaptations, trailing only the most successful one.

Screenshot 2026 10 02 at 09 04 07 Verity Rotten Tomatoes

This performance also reflects positively on the team behind the film. Hathaway’s third No. 1 opening this year follows ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Odyssey.’ This success is particularly encouraging for Amazon MGM, which is looking to recover after the disappointing performance of ‘Masters of the Universe’ this summer, which grossed $113 million worldwide against a $200 million budget.

The studio also benefits from a relatively low budget compared to its opening, making ‘Verity’ one of the more lucrative fall releases if Friday’s figures hold. The film has reportedly gained traction through positive word of mouth among book clubs and social circles, with strong walk-up sales contributing to its success on Friday.

What unfolds next will be the true test. A C+ from opening-night audiences indicates that the weekend may be front-loaded, and the upcoming weeks will reveal whether positive word of mouth can sustain a thriller that critics did not favor. For the moment, however, ‘Verity’ reigns at the box office.

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