Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway's Verity Delivers Surprise Box-Office Victory Over Tom Cruise's Digger

Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway's Verity has delivered a surprise box-office victory over Tom Cruise's Digger, opening at No. 1 with $32.6 million (£24.7 million) in North America while the heavily promoted Warner Bros. film managed just $8 million (£6.0 million) and finished fifth.

Verity therefore opened approximately $24.6 million (£18.6 million) ahead of Digger and earned more than four times its domestic debut.

The result is particularly striking for Cruise, whose Digger opening has been reported as his lowest domestic debut in 19 years. Industry expectations had reportedly placed the film's opening closer to $18 million (£13.6 million) to $20 million (£15.1 million), making its $8 million (£6.0 million) haul a substantial shortfall.

'Verity' Takes No. 1 With $32.6 Million

Amazon MGM's psychological thriller is based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel and stars Johnson as writer Lowen Ashleigh, alongside Hathaway and Josh Hartnett.

The film opened across thousands of North American theatres and also performed strongly overseas. Verity collected approximately $30 million (£22.7 million) internationally, bringing its worldwide opening to roughly $62.6 million (£47.4 million).

The result also extended the theatrical strength of Hoover adaptations. Verity recorded the second-biggest opening for a Colleen Hoover adaptation, behind 2024's It Ends With Us, which debuted with about $50 million (£37.8 million) domestically.

The film's performance gave Johnson another major box-office result following her recent work in high-profile studio releases, while Hathaway also continues a strong 2026 theatrical run.

Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Suffers 19-Year Box-Office Low

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger opened with approximately $8 million (£6.0 million) domestically, placing it fifth in the weekend rankings.

The film added around $12 million (£9.1 million) from 73 international markets, taking its worldwide opening to roughly $20 million (£15.1 million). It finished behind Verity, Resident Evil, Heart of the Beast and Primetime, with Primetime also earning approximately $8 million (£6.0 million) but ranking ahead of Digger.

For Cruise, the result marks a rare commercial setback after major successes including Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise. The $8 million (£6.0 million) opening is his lowest domestic debut since 2007, according to reports.

'Digger' Misses Expectations Amid Huge Costs

The weak debut came despite the combination of Cruise and Iñárritu, whose previous films include Birdman and The Revenant. The film had been viewed as a major prestige release for Warner Bros., with industry expectations reportedly placing its opening between $18 million (£13.6 million) and $20 million (£15.1 million).

Its reported production budget also made the result more significant. The Associated Press reported that the film cost at least $125 million (£94.5 million) to produce, with estimates ranging as high as $150 million (£113.4 million). Marketing was estimated at another $100 million (£75.6 million).

Reviews were mixed, while audiences gave Digger a C+ CinemaScore. Its Rotten Tomatoes critics' score reflected mixed reviews, adding pressure to its theatrical run.

Why 'Verity' Won the Box-Office Battle

The contrasting openings show the different audience appeal behind the two films. Verity arrived with the established fan base of Hoover's bestselling novel, while Digger was an original, filmmaker-driven satire carrying a substantially larger budget.

Verity also benefited from a strong female audience. Variety reported that women accounted for 78% of its opening-weekend audience, underlining the film's appeal to the demographic most closely associated with Hoover adaptations.

Digger arrived days before Paramount Skydance was expected to complete its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The Associated Press reported that the weak opening came as Warner Bros. approached the end of its run as an independent studio, adding significance to the underperformance of one of its major prestige releases.