Anne Hathaway Aims for Another No. 1 Box Office Opening with ‘Verity’

Avatar photoHrvoje Milakovic
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Anne Hathaway is having a year that studios dream about. She has appeared in five films in 2026, and her box office results have been remarkable. As her latest release hits theaters this weekend, the question remains whether her streak at the top can continue.

The numbers so far are impressive. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ opened to $77 million from 4,150 theaters, nearly tripling the $27.5 million debut of the original. ‘The Odyssey’ went even bigger, topping the chart with a $123.5 million weekend in July and later becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time worldwide.

Now it is ‘Verity’s turn. Variety reports that the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller is targeting a domestic opening of $30 million to $35 million from 3,510 theaters. This should mark Hathaway’s third No. 1 opening of the year, following ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Odyssey’.

Other forecasters are slightly more cautious. Boxoffice Pro’s long-range forecast has the film at $30 million to $40 million, while Box Office Theory projects $24 million to $34 million, with studio tracking at $27 million to $30 million. TheWrap expects a No. 1 finish with $35 million or more, thanks to strong female turnout.

Hathaway’s main competition this weekend is a familiar name. Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’, an R-rated environmental satire from Alejandro González Iñárritu, also opens, and Variety projects only $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 screens. TheWrap noted it is Warner Bros.’ final release as a standalone studio, adding to the sense of a stark reversal in fortunes.

There is a nice irony here, as Hathaway is set to team up with Cruise for ‘Days of Thunder 2’ in summer 2028. For now, however, the two are on opposite sides of the weekend chart. Holdovers like ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ and ‘Resident Evil’ are expected to land well behind.

Screenshot 2026 09 30 at 19 57 37 Verity Rotten Tomatoes

Hoover’s name carries significant box office weight. ‘It Ends with Us’ opened to $50 million, while ‘Regretting You’ and ‘Reminders of Him’ debuted at $13.6 million and $17.8 million, respectively. A $30 million to $35 million start would make ‘Verity’ the second-biggest opening among Hoover adaptations.

The film also differs from those releases in tone. It is rated R, unlike the previous three Hoover adaptations, which were PG-13. Boxoffice Pro compared it to ‘A Simple Favor’ and ‘The Housemaid’, which opened to $16 million and $19 million. Directed by Michael Showalter, the thriller stars Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett.

The reviews are not particularly favorable. ‘Verity’ currently sits at 45% on Rotten Tomatoes and 44 on Metacritic, which aligns with expectations for a Hoover adaptation. Every Hoover movie has received a rotten score, yet several have still turned into box office hits.

Hathaway is the one aspect critics tend to agree on, and she is a significant reason this film has momentum. Her other 2026 releases earned stronger marks, including 94% for ‘The Odyssey’, 86% for ‘The End of Oak Street’, 78% for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, and 69% for ‘Mother Mary’. ‘The End of Oak Street’ opened to $21 million.

For Amazon MGM Studios, a strong debut would be a welcome change. ‘Verity’ was produced for $40 million, a modest figure, and a solid weekend would help the studio rebound after this summer’s ‘Masters of the Universe’, which flopped with $113 million globally against a $200 million budget. Several analysts have even labeled it a potential sleeper hit of the fall.

If the projections hold, Hathaway will conclude her busiest year with another victory lap. The weekend will also test how much a star and a built-in readership can overcome mediocre reviews. With the numbers arriving on Sunday, the answer will soon be clear.

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