Anne Hathaway has cemented her status as the top box office draw of 2026 with the surprise success of Verity, Amazon MGM’s psychological thriller that opened to $33 million in its domestic debut. The film outpaced Warner Bros.’ satirical epic Digger, which underperformed despite a high-profile rollout and a $180 million budget. Verity’s global haul now stands at over $60 million, surpassing expectations even as it earned a lukewarm 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. Collider’s Carly Lane criticized the film for failing to deliver on its potential, calling it ‘not nearly as creepy, campy, or sexy as it could have — and should have, been.’ Yet audiences didn’t seem to care. The movie’s momentum appears rooted in Hathaway’s recent string of hits: she starred in the $2.5 billion worldwide grosser The Odyssey and The Devil Wears Prada 2, both major commercial successes. Her performance in the sci-fi film The End of Oak Street. Released earlier this year, also ended with $120 million globally against an $80 million budget. Verity marks her third significant box office win in 2026. The film is directed by Michael Showalter and co-stars Dakota Johnson, who previously found fame in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, and Josh Hartnett, whose recent roles in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap signaled a comeback. The story centers on emotional intimacy, secrecy, and the intensity of love that defies public norms. One line from the film’s promotional material captures its tone: ‘You do not fall for strangers. You fall for the person you’ve already been talking to for years.’ Another reads: ‘You want a partner, not an audience. Somebody who wants their own life as badly as you want yours.’ The film’s narrative leans into the ache of forbidden desire. ‘the particular ache of wanting somebody you are not supposed to want’, and the idea that true connection is immediate, total, and irreversible. While It Ends with Us, another Colleen Hoover adaptation, opened to $50 million domestically amid controversy, Verity’s quieter launch still edged past it. Two other Hoover-based films, Reminders of Him and Regretting You, each grossed around $90 million worldwide. With Verity holding strong through its opening frame, the question now isn’t whether it will survive. But whether Hathaway’s streak can continue beyond the holiday season. And if Digger’s collapse signals a shift in audience appetite, Hollywood may need to rethink what counts as a blockbuster.