Verity Tops UK and Ireland Box Office as Digger Stalls in Fourth
Sony Pictures’ Verity has opened at No. 1 at the U.K. and Ireland box office, taking £3.3 million ($4.5 million) in its opening weekend, as reported by Variety. The figure covers ticket sales from its first three days on release. It was enough to put the film clear at the top of the chart.
Verity is a psychological thriller from Sony Pictures, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, according to Variety. It stars Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, as reported by Screen Daily. The film opened on 639 sites, meaning 639 individual cinemas, across the U.K. and Ireland.
The strong start was not limited to Britain and Ireland. Verity earned $62 million globally in its opening weekend, according to Deadline. It claimed first place in 30 international markets, with the U.K. and Ireland ranked among its four best-performing territories outside North America, as reported by Screen Daily.
The weekend’s other major opener had a much slower start. Warner Bros.’ Digger, a drama starring Tom Cruise, opened in fourth place in the U.K. and Ireland with $1.4 million, according to Variety. Globally, the film took $20 million in its opening weekend, Deadline reported. That publication had earlier reported an estimate that Digger could lose $150 million at the box office.
What makes this stand out is the gap between the two releases. One film arrived on more than 600 screens and converted that footprint into first place at home and abroad. The other, despite a major studio release and a leading star, started in fourth in the U.K. and Ireland and faces a long run to recover.
