Amazon MGM has a modest win; Warner Bros./Legendary has a costly sendoff.
The weekend numbers
Amazon MGM’s “Verity” is pacing for a $33 million opening weekend after earning $15 million from 3,510 locations on opening day. The overall weekend is tracking up 17% from last year, helped by holdovers and about $40 million combined from two newcomers.
Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Digger,” the final film before Paramount acquires the 103-year-old studio, is falling to a $7.5 million opening after grossing $3.4 million from 3,321 locations, including Imax support. The film’s budget is at least $125 million, with some reports putting it at $160 million or higher. For Tom Cruise, it is the lowest opening weekend since “Lions for Lambs” opened to $6.7 million in 2007.
Why the scores change the outlook
Both newcomers carry soft audience signals. “Verity” has a C+ CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 34% critics and 69% audience. On a reported $40 million budget, it should turn a modest theatrical profit and get Prime Video attention. But a C+ with a hot opening day points to frontloaded demand rather than long theatrical legs.
“Digger” has a C+ CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 51% critics and 71% audience. Directed by Alejandro Inarritu, it is dividing audiences and may gain cult status over time, but by the numbers it is a pricey misfire to close Warner’s run before its sale to Paramount.
The holdover picture
The rest of the market is mixed:
- Sony’s “Resident Evil” added $12.5 million in weekend three, reaching $125 million domestic.
- Paramount’s “Heart of the Beast” earned $11 million in its second weekend, for $38.3 million domestic against an $80 million production budget.
- A24’s “Primetime” dropped 56% to $8 million, reaching $34 million domestic against a $15 million budget.
- Universal/DreamWorks’ “Forgotten Island” fell 50% to $6.6 million, for $23 million domestic against an $80 million budget.
What this means for platform and studio teams
For media planners and streaming teams, “Verity” shows how a modest-budget theatrical release can work as a marketing engine for a streaming window: theatrical profit plus awareness for Prime Video. But the C+ CinemaScore cautions against planning tentpole-sized follow-through.
“Digger” is the opposite. Its budget-to-opening gap will force overseas and ancillary performance to do heavy lifting, and the critical split may limit the repeat viewing that cult hits often generate.
Watch CinemaScore and audience reviews alongside opening-day grosses, not just the weekend figure. A C+ score with a strong opening day usually means frontloaded demand, not the start of a long run.
Source: TheWrap
