Box Office: ‘Digger’ Majorly Bombs With $8 Million Opening Weekend, ‘Verity’ Scores $32 Million Debut

This week’s wide releases have received lukewarm reviews from both critics and viewers, but their box office performances are markedly different. The Amazon MGM adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book, "Verity," starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is projected to gross at least $32.6 million from 3,510 theaters. Although this opening is below the $50 million mark of last year’s Hoover hit "It Ends With Us," it is still sufficient to potentially turn a profit.

However, "Verity" is struggling to garner strong audience reception, with a CinemaScore of C+ and a 50% "Definite Recommend" score from an audience that is predominantly female (78%) and in the 25-44 age range. This audience demographic mirrors that of Warner Bros.' "Practical Magic 2," which also struggled to sustain momentum following its $30 million opening release and has since reached $100 million worldwide, earning $64.7 million domestically.

The lukewarm reception for "Verity" may indicate a similar frontloaded performance. On the other hand, "Digger," a $125 million (some sources estimate $160 million) Alejandro Inarritu-directed satire, has suffered a disastrous start with a global opening weekend of just $20 million. This underwhelming debut marks a bittersweet end to Warner Bros.'

103-year presence in theaters, as the studio merges with Paramount Skydance. "Digger" has been met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, receiving Rotten Tomatoes scores of 51% from critics and 70% from the audience, a CinemaScore of C+, and a 47% "definite recommend" rating from PostTrak. These scores, indicative of a film that may resonate with cinephiles but lacks the mass appeal required to sustain a theatrical release of its budget level, have been detrimental to "Digger" in its efforts to attract viewers to the theater.

Despite these setbacks, Tom Cruise, who was initially considered a potential Oscar nominee in the film, expressed pride in "Digger" on social media, thanking the cast and crew for their dedication and hard work, stating that the experience was unforgettable, and expressing his gratitude for the final product.