Colleen Hoover can look forward to a nice brunch this morning as the feature take of her novel starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, Verity, bowed to $62.5M worldwide, the second best start for the author at the global box office behind 2024’s It Ends With Us in like-for-likes, which was $95.6M WW.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Inarritu’s $160M net costing Tom Cruise political satire, Digger, was buried with a $20M global debut ($12M abroad, $8M stateside); in no way One Battle After Another which began at $48.5M WW reported in 74 territories a year ago, that ultimate multi Oscar winner becoming Paul Thomas Anderson’s highest grossing movie ever at $213.2M WW.
Verity also had more magic than the reported global opening of Warner Bros’ Practical Magic 2 which began with $46M WW in 77 offshore territories.
With a $40M net production cost, Verity continues to underscore Amazon MGM Studios’ mark in the female content space, their Prime side rallying with series such as Off Campus and Elle to name a few.
Verity was also more vivacious than the global starts of Hoover’s Regretting You ($23.6M in 43 markets) and Reminders of Him ($28.1M WW, 57 markets) in reported global launches. In several offshore markets, Verity was ahead of Reminders of Him and Regretting You. Housemaid, which is another global crowdpleaser by author Freida McFadden isn’t necessarily the comp here given its staggered rollout and year-end holiday boost, however, Verity slayed Housemaid in its openings in UK (No. 1 $4.5M 950 screens), Brazil ($3.8M at 715 screens, No. 1) and Australia ($3.1M 500 screens for a No. 1 rank). We told you heading into the weekend that Verity presales were already ahead of It Ends With Us in Brazil’s. Mexico’s $1.5M No. 2 rank at 1,522 screens is to be commended as the market is mostly known for the excelling of genre and family pics.
Word flowed into Amazon international from foreign offices that Verity wasn’t just a female skewing movie (in the U.S with a $32.6M start, it drew 78% female), rather pulled in non-literary lovers and dudes as well. Macho movie markets like Norway ($400K, 200 screens at No. 1), Turkey and Ukraine ($370K from 235 screens, No. 1 where it’s the biggest opening for a Hoover book adaptation) are to be commended.
Best starts for Hoover were also seen in Portugal ($575K at 60 screens, No. 1) and Hungary ($318K at 70 screens, No. 1).
Lots of No. 1s here with Germany ($3.8M at 715 screens), Netherlands ($590K at 115 screens), Austria ($380K from 68 screens), Sweden ($375K at 120 screens), Switzerland ($330K at 70 screens), Belgium ($320K at 65), Argentina ($300K from 190 screens), Greece ($245K from 106 screens), as well as Lithuania grossed ($205K from 18 screens), Finland ($190K at 110 screens) and Israel ($185K at 37 screens).
Pic was best MPA title in UAE ($670K at 91 screens) as well as India with $500K at 350 screens, just -12% behind It Ends With Us which is remarkable. U.S. genre has been working in the market with Obsession rallying there.
The Michael Showalter directed title kissed $1.7M in France at 384 screens for No. 2, Spain grossed $825K from 382 screens and ranked #4, Italy romanced $760K at 312 screens for No. 3, Saudi Arabia $535K from 105 screens and ranked #4, NZ was $370K from 110 screens No. 2, Poland was $240K from 152 screens No. 3, Colombia $238K at 140 screens No. 4, Colombia $238K from 140 screens and ranked #4 while Philippines grossed $233K from 168 screens and ranked #3.
Taiwan and the CIS region open next weekend, with Slovakia and Vietnam the weekend after. Korea opens on October 22 and Japan on November 6.
Brad Pitt and Odin in ‘Heart of the Beast’
Paramount Pictures
Paramount’s The Heart of the Beast continued to beat not just stateside with a great $11M second weekend hold, but also around the world with a $32.5M take. Of that foreign’s second frame was $21.5M in 66 territories with an overall running cume of $98.7M. China opened $2.1M at 7,300 theaters including previews while Turkey pulled in $225K at 194 sites with previews.
France’s second weekend was $3M, No. 1 in the market, -17% for a cume of $7.6M. Mexico had a second frame of $2M, also No. 1, -17% for a tally there of $5.1M. UK’s $1.6M second weekend at 554 sites ranked third, -22% for a cume of $5.5M. Spain did $1.1M second frame at 392 locations, No. 2, -25% for a local cume of $3.6M. Australia posted $1.1M No. 2 in second frame at 290, -17% for a total of $3.3M while Germany grossed $955K in second weekend at 428 theaters, No. 3, +2% for a cume of $2.3M. The Heart of the Beast storms into Korea on Oct. 29.
We’ll have more updates for you later.