“Verity” takes the box-office crown with about $32 million on debut, while Tom Cruise’s “Digger” heads for his weakest opening in 19 years

As the first hours of the weekend closed, October’s big duel at the American box office was sealed: Amazon MGM Studios’ “Verity” wins hands down, while Tom Cruise’s “Digger” is turning into one of the year’s biggest bombs. According to early Friday estimates, as OutLoud! Culture reports, the Colleen Hoover thriller has grossed about $14.5 million on its first day alone (including $4.5 million from Thursday previews) and is heading for a debut of about $32 million from 3,510 cinemas — beyond the studio’s $27–30 million forecast.

“Verity”, directed by Michael Showalter and starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, was made on a reported budget of $40 million and has already passed its own forecast. The critics have not spared it (39% on Rotten Tomatoes), but, according to OutLoud! Culture, Hoover’s fans have never needed the critics’ permission — the author’s recent adaptations have been rated by audiences at 83 to 87 percent.

For “Digger” the story is entirely different. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s apocalyptic satire, in which Tom Cruise plays an oil magnate, is heading for about $10 million from 3,321 cinemas — Warner Bros. had hoped for $12–15 million — on a reported budget of between $125 million and over $160 million. If the figure holds, it will be Tom Cruise’s weakest opening in 19 years: you have to go back to 2007’s “Lions for Lambs” ($6.7 million) for a softer start for the star. The audience has been more merciful than the critics, with 71% from audiences against 52% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The timing could not be worse for Warner Bros., OutLoud! Culture writes: the film is released just as the studio’s heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are departing, ahead of the expected closing of the Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. merger on October 6. Also in the weekend’s top five are “Resident Evil” with about $11.5 million in its third weekend, “Heart of the Beast” with about $10.3 million and A24’s “Primetime” with about $7.6 million. The final weekend figures arrive on Sunday.