Colleen Hoover Reigns as ‘Verity’ Surprises with Strong Opening Despite C+ CinemaScore

Laura Bais
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Adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s works have consistently followed a recognizable trend: critics may not be impressed, but fans of the books show up in droves. ‘It Ends With Us’ set a high benchmark, debuting with $50 million and ultimately grossing $148.5 million domestically. The two most recent adaptations fell short of that mark, leading to some uncertainty about how much the brand could sustain a film’s success.

‘Verity’ marks the fourth adaptation of Hoover’s novels to hit theaters, featuring a star-studded cast. Anne Hathaway takes on the role of the injured bestselling author Verity Crawford, while Dakota Johnson portrays struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, tasked with completing Verity’s unfinished works. Josh Hartnett plays Verity’s husband. Directed by Michael Showalter and scripted by Nick Antosca, this R-rated thriller was produced with a budget of $40 million.

The film’s opening day has brought a delightful surprise. Box office analyst Luiz Fernando noted that Hoover is once again at the top, with Hathaway achieving her third No. 1 debut of 2026 as ‘Verity’ earned $15.1 million on Friday, which includes $4.5 million from Thursday previews. Fernando anticipates a three-day opening weekend gross of between $35 million and $40 million, provided it isn’t overly front-loaded by dedicated book fans.

Fernando contextualized the Friday earnings by comparing them to recent opening days. ‘Verity’s’ $15.1 million surpasses ‘Practical Magic 2’ at $13.1 million, ‘The Lost City’ at $11.5 million, and ‘Wuthering Heights’ at $10.8 million. It also outperformed ‘Reminders of Him’ at $8.1 million, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ at $7.3 million, ‘Challengers’ at $6.3 million, ‘Regretting You’ at $5.3 million, and ‘House of Gucci’ at $4.2 million. Only ‘It Ends With Us,’ which debuted at $24.2 million, remains ahead.

Deadline’s Saturday morning update estimates a $33.6 million weekend from 3,510 theaters after what it described as a better-than-expected Friday. This projection exceeds Boxoffice Pro’s forecast range of $25 million to $35 million and significantly surpasses initial expectations for a film that critics did not favor. It represents a strong performance for a mid-budget adult thriller.

The opening also marks a notable achievement. Screen Rant points out that this is Johnson’s best domestic debut in eight years, since ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ opened to $38.6 million in 2018. Additionally, it stands as the best domestic debut for a Hoover adaptation since ‘It Ends With Us.’

Screenshot 2026 10 03 at 14 13 59 Verity Rotten Tomatoes

However, there is a cautionary note. ‘Verity’ received a C+ CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. This combination indicates a potentially front-loaded run, with the fans who came for Hoover not necessarily generating excitement among new viewers.

Despite this, the competition appears to be relatively weak. Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ opened with just $3.4 million on Friday and also received a C+ from audiences. ‘Verity’ is outperforming its rivals, which include ‘Resident Evil’ in second place.

For Amazon MGM, this outcome is a welcome development. With a $40 million budget and a $33 million opening, the film is poised for a solid profit even if it experiences a steep decline moving forward. After a challenging summer, a successful film powered by Hoover’s name is precisely the victory the studio needed.

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