The box office is heading into a weekend of contrasting expectations, with Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway’s Verity expected to make a strong start. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise’s Digger faces a much lower opening projection.
Based on Deadline’s latest global preview, Verity is projected to open to more than US$30 million in the U.S. and Canada. The film is set to play in 3,510 theatres, with previews beginning Thursday.
The Michael Showalter-directed thriller could add another US$20 million to US$25 million from 70 international markets. That would put its worldwide opening at roughly US$50 million to US$55 million, before releases in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the CIS.
The film is based on Colleen Hoover’s novel and stars Johnson, Hathaway and Josh Hartnett. It follows two writers whose lives become entangled around a bestselling author and the secrets surrounding her work.
Deadline reported that Verity is currently trailing It Ends With Us in U.S. and Canadian presales. That film opened to US$50 million domestically in 2024 and finished with US$148.5 million in North America and US$351.4 million worldwide.
Hoover adaptations have produced mixed results since It Ends With Us. Regretting You opened to US$13.6 million and reached US$90.4 million worldwide. Additionally, Reminders of Him opened to US$17.9 million and finished with US$89.2 million globally.
Meanwhile, Digger is facing a more uncertain debut. Warner Bros. is projecting a domestic opening of US$12 million to US$15 million, while other estimates cited by Deadline put the film below US$10 million.
The Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed film stars Cruise alongside Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed and Emma D’Arcy. It is expected to open in 73 international territories, excluding Poland, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, with overseas estimates of US$15 million to US$20 million.
At the higher end of those projections, Digger would start with around US$35 million worldwide. The film reportedly carries a net production cost of US$125 million. However, reports have placed the actual figure as high as US$140 million to US$150 million.
The weekend also brings Beware Boiuna, opening in 1,350 U.S. theatres and expected to post a single-digit debut.
Further down the chart, A24’s Primetime continues to build on its opening. The Robert Pattinson-led film has reached US$23.8 million domestically and could hold to a decline of less than 60% in its latest weekend.
Paramount’s The Heart of the Beast is also expected to see a relatively modest second-weekend drop of about 40%. The Brad Pitt survival thriller has so far earned US$26 million in the U.S. and Canada.
Meanwhile, Avengers: Endgame: Encore is projected to fall around 60% in its second weekend. The reissue, which includes additional footage from Avengers: Doomsday, currently stands at US$31.1 million domestically.
With Verity targeting a US$50 million-plus global launch and Digger facing a more modest start, the two new releases are heading into the weekend with very different box office expectations.
