'Verity' grabs $14.5 million on Friday as 'Digger' heads for Tom Cruise's worst opening in 19 years

Friday confirmed what previews suggested: 'Verity', the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestseller, earned around $14.5 million on its first day in the U.S., including $4.5 million from Thursday night. Michael Showalter's film, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, is playing in 3,510 theaters and is tracking toward roughly $32 million for the weekend, according to industry estimates. With a $40 million budget, it should turn a profit quickly.

Audiences were less enthusiastic, though: CinemaScore polling gave the thriller a C+, and critics are split too (41% on Rotten Tomatoes, 45 on Metacritic). Hoover adaptations tend to divide critics and readers, and strong walk-up sales driven by book clubs and friend groups helped power Friday.

On the other side, 'Digger', Alejandro G. Iñárritu's satire starring Tom Cruise, posted an estimated opening day of $3.25 million to $4 million, with weekend projections between $7 million and $10 million. Even in the best case, it would be the star's lowest opening since 'Lions for Lambs', which debuted to $6.7 million in 2007 — in other words, Cruise's worst opening in 19 years. The official budget is $125 million.