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👉 Swipe or use the arrows · Photos: Paul Sableman, CLTmatt, Commons, Commons via Wikimedia Commons
- Verity opened at No.1 with $32.6M in North America and $62.5M worldwide — on a $40M budget.
- Tom Cruise's Digger made only $8M at home against a $160–180M budget.
- Resident Evil held No.2 and has passed $215M worldwide.
- The 2026 US box office is at $7.95B, up 19% — just $50M away from $8B.
Hollywood just delivered a lesson in money. A mid-budget thriller built on a bestselling book walked away with the weekend, while one of the biggest movie stars on the planet watched his expensive new film stumble out of the gate.
Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, opened at the top of the North American box office with $32.6 million. Meanwhile, Digger, the new Tom Cruise film, collected only $8 million at home — a painful number for a movie that cost a fortune.
👑 Verity Wins the Weekend — Despite the Critics
Based on Colleen Hoover's hit novel of the same name, Verity played in 3,510 theaters and earned $32.6M domestically. It added $30M from international markets, bringing its global launch to $62.5M.
Directed by Michael Showalter, the film follows famous author Verity Crawford, who is badly hurt in a car crash. Her husband then hires a struggling writer to finish the rest of her popular book series — and that's where the secrets start.
Reviews were mixed, but audiences didn't care. With a production budget of just $40 million, Verity is already well on its way to profit.
💥 Tom Cruise Takes a Big Hit With Digger
Digger, a satirical comedy directed by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, had a rough start. It made $8M from 3,321 theaters in North America, and the final number may drop to around $7.5M.
The studio had hoped for an opening of $18–20M. Analysts say the movie really needed something close to $40M to justify its price tag.
The story centers on a powerful oil tycoon getting ready for a huge environmental disaster. Its estimated budget sits between $160M and $180M, plus roughly $100M for worldwide marketing.
🏆 The Weekend Top 4
| # | Film | Weekend | Domestic Total | Global |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Verity NEW · Budget $40M |
$32.6M | $32.6M | $62.5M |
| 🥈 | Resident Evil Week 3 · Budget $75M |
$12.5M | $124.8M | $215M |
| 🥉 | Heart of the Beast Week 2 |
$11M | $38.3M | $98.6M |
| 4 | Primetime Week 2 · Robert Pattinson · Budget $15M |
$8M ▼58% | $34M | — |
Resident Evil is the quiet winner of the season. In its third weekend it added $12.5M, pushing its North American total to $124.8M and its worldwide haul to $215M — almost three times its $75M budget.
Heart of the Beast came third with $11M in its second weekend. Primetime, led by Robert Pattinson, dropped 58% to $8M, but with $34M at home on a $15M budget, it's still a smart bet that paid off.
📈 2026 Box Office Is Racing Toward $8 Billion
The bigger picture is good news for cinemas. Year-to-date domestic ticket sales have reached about $7.95 billion, up 19% on the same point in 2025. The market is now only about $50 million short of the $8 billion mark.
Paul Dergarabedian, who tracks market trends at Comscore (formerly Rentrak), pointed to a strong September — led by titles like Resident Evil and Primetime — as proof that audiences are showing up even in months that used to be slow.
❓ Quick Answers
How much did Verity make on opening weekend?
$32.6M in North America and $30M overseas — $62.5M worldwide.
Is Tom Cruise's Digger a flop?
Early numbers say yes: about $8M at home and $20M worldwide against a $160–180M budget, well below the studio's $18–20M target.
Who directed Verity and Digger?
Michael Showalter directed Verity. Alejandro González Iñárritu directed Digger.
Is Verity based on a book?
Yes — Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel of the same name.
Verity proved that a loved book and a sensible budget can beat a superstar. Digger is now one of the costliest stumbles of 2026 — while Hollywood overall is having its best year in a while.
