Cruise's 'Digger' Hits 19-Year Low as 'Verity' Tops Box Office

TheWrap and Deadline report Amazon MGM's 'Verity' opened to about $33M while Tom Cruise's 'Digger' sank to his lowest opening since 2007.

Amazon MGM's Colleen Hoover adaptation 'Verity' is heading for a roughly $33 million opening weekend after a $15 million opening day from 3,510 locations, per TheWrap. The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson and produced on a reported $40 million budget, leads a weekend that both outlets say is up sharply from last year. Meanwhile, Warner Bros./Legendary's 'Digger,' directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is falling to an opening of $7.5 million by TheWrap's estimate and $8 million by Deadline's, after grossing just $3.4 million on Friday from 3,321 locations including Imax support. Both outlets place 'Resident Evil' second in its third weekend, with Sony's title adding $12–12.5 million.

Deadline reports the opening is Tom Cruise's lowest since 2007's 'Lions for Lambs,' which opened to $6.7 million, and notes 'Digger' carries a production cost that some reports put at $160 million or higher — TheWrap cites a budget of at least $125 million. The stumble also lands as Warner Bros.' run as an independent studio ends, with Paramount acquiring the 103-year-old company, and Deadline says it caps the exit of motion picture heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, whose contracts were rejected by the new owner. TheWrap compares the divided reception to Paramount's 'Babylon,' suggesting 'Digger' may attain cult status despite the costly misfire.

Both films earned a C+ CinemaScore, and TheWrap notes 'Verity' carries Rotten Tomatoes scores of 34% from critics and 69% from audiences, with some Colleen Hoover fans saying it lacks the creepy, steamy thrills of the book. Deadline reports 'Digger' scored 51% from critics and 71% from audiences, drew an audience that was 73% male and 60% aged 18–34, played heavily on the coasts, and relied on Imax and PLF formats for close to half its gross. Deadline also cites RelishMix data showing 'Digger's social word of mouth fell from 8.1 to 6.4 in the final weeks, with skeptical chatter about the film's tonal identity and marketing.

TheWrap says 'Verity' should turn a modest theatrical profit for Amazon MGM and attract streaming attention on Prime Video, but adds it is likely to be a frontloaded title that won't provide as much October market support as hoped. Deadline frames the weekend more broadly: despite 'Digger,' the fall delivered a third straight $100M+ frame at an estimated $101.3 million, up 25% from a year ago, and September was the second-best post-Covid month at $601.9 million. Among holdovers, TheWrap reports Paramount's 'Heart of the Beast' added $11 million for a $38.3 million total, while A24's 'Primetime' dropped 56% to $8 million and Universal's 'Forgotten Island' fell 50% to $6.6 million.