Anne Hathaway has capped a remarkable return to major studio films with a third movie opening at No. 1 at the box office this year.
“Verity,” Hathaway’s fifth theatrical release of 2026, debuted with an estimated $33 million in North America over the weekend, easily topping Tom Cruise’s ecological satire “Digger,” which took around $8 million.
The psychological thriller, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, stars Hathaway as Verity Crawford, a successful novelist left in a catatonic state following a car accident. Dakota Johnson plays the writer hired to complete Crawford’s unfinished work.
Hathaway’s box-office run began in May with “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” in which she returned as journalist Andy Sachs. She followed that success with Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” in July, playing Penelope.
With “Verity” now adding a third No. 1 opening, Hathaway appears to have become the first woman to lead three films that topped the box office on their opening weekends in a single calendar year.
A rare box-office feat
Three No. 1 openings in one year is an achievement few actors have managed. Jim Carrey accomplished the feat in 1994 with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “The Mask” and “Dumb and Dumber,” while Ben Stiller did the same in 2004 with “Along Came Polly,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “Meet the Fockers.”
Hathaway’s 2026 run began with “Mother Mary” in April, followed by “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Odyssey.” In August, she also appeared in the dinosaur adventure film “The End of Oak Street.”
The actress previously joked that the unusually crowded release schedule made her wonder whether she was being “punked.” She also told studios that she hoped audiences would not get tired of seeing her on screen.
The response so far suggests the opposite.
Film analyst Scott Mendelson said Hathaway had benefited from the level of audience trust associated with established stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet and Robert Pattinson.
A return after nearly a decade
Before 2026, Hathaway had not appeared in a major mainstream theatrical release since 2018’s “Ocean’s Eight.” She subsequently focused on smaller productions, including “The Witches” in 2020 and “Mothers’ Instinct” in 2024.
Her return has coincided with a strong year for female-led films. Christina Lane, a film studies professor at the University of Miami, said women had been an important force behind this year’s box office, pointing to films such as “Wuthering Heights,” “Send Help” and “Disclosure Day.”
However, Lane cautioned against interpreting Hathaway’s success as a return to the era when actresses such as Julia Roberts and Demi Moore could consistently drive major box-office openings on their names alone.
She noted that a film’s success also depends on factors including release dates, established franchises, popular source material, directors and co-stars.
Hathaway’s representatives declined to comment on her recent box-office run, saying the actress is currently on maternity leave. She is expecting her third child.
After the release of “Verity,” Hathaway has indicated that she plans to step away from the spotlight for a while, telling Entertainment Tonight that she intended to “vanish in a plume of smoke” and would not be seen again “until you have to.”
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