The honeymoon phase is officially over for Verity. Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson's psychological thriller, based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, has seen its theater count slashed by 500 as it enters its third weekend. The move signals that the film is unlikely to replicate the massive success of Hoover's previous adaptation, It Ends with Us, which rode a wave of controversy to over $350 million worldwide.
While Verity opened in more than 3,500 theaters two weeks ago, the drop-off is a stark reminder of the competitive landscape for book-to-screen thrillers. For context, the Warner Bros. release Digger suffered one of the worst third-week theater losses in history, shedding over 2,700 screens. Verity's 500-theater cut is comparatively modest, but it still points to a film struggling to hold audience attention.
Directed by Michael Showalter, Verity has earned a lackluster 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics divided over its pacing and tonal shifts. The film also stars Josh Hartnett, but even the combined star power hasn't been enough to push it past the $115 million global mark against a reported $40 million budget. That's a far cry from the $400 million haul of The Housemaid or the $175 million earned by The Girl on the Train.
Still, Verity is on track to surpass the lifetime gross of Hathaway's recent sci-fi outing The End of Oak Street, which brought in $122 million. And with Hathaway also starring in The Odyssey and The Devil Wears Prada 2 this year—combined grosses exceeding $2.5 billion—her career is hardly in jeopardy. But for Hoover fans hoping for another It Ends with Us-style phenomenon, Verity is shaping up to be a more modest affair.
As the film prepares for its home video release later this month, Amazon MGM is already scaling back its theatrical footprint. The move is a familiar one for mid-tier thrillers, which often see their big-screen runs taper off as streaming and digital platforms take over. For those who prefer to catch Verity on the big screen, time is running out.
In the broader landscape of recent thrillers, Verity is aiming for the $144 million gross of Where the Crawdads Sing, another literary adaptation that found a loyal audience. Whether it gets there remains to be seen, but the current trajectory suggests it will land closer to the $90 million range of Hoover's other adaptations like Regretting You and Reminders of Him.
For fans of the genre, there are plenty of other options to explore. If you're in the mood for something more intense, check out our list of thrillers that outdo the big screen. Or dive into psychological thriller miniseries that nail the landing. And if you're curious about other recent box office struggles, Angel and the Badman's theater losses offer a cautionary tale.
As Verity continues its run, stay tuned for more updates on its box office performance and eventual streaming debut. For now, it's a reminder that even star-studded adaptations can't always replicate the magic of their source material.
