Hollywood News: Verity's $35M Opening, Digger Stumbles
Hollywood's October box-office battle is set: Anne Hathaway's Verity is tracking for a commanding debut while Tom Cruise's Digger stumbles into the weekend with soft projections. Off-screen, a sports biopic trailer has everyone talking about unrecognizable transformations, a beloved comedy legend's estate heads to auction, and Chris Hemsworth's proud-dad moment sparked a debate.
Here is Showbiz Daily's complete roundup of the biggest Hollywood stories of October 1, 2026 — box-office projections, verified details and what each story means.
Verity vs Digger: Hathaway eyes $30–35M opening, Cruise film in trouble
Anne Hathaway's Verity is expected to dominate the domestic box office this weekend with a projected $30–35 million opening from 3,510 theatres, per Variety's tracking cited by Times Now. That would give Hathaway her third No. 1 debut of 2026 — an extraordinary run in a single calendar year.
Verity is the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation, following a pattern Hollywood has learned to trust:
Hoover's novels have become a reliable source of mid-budget theatrical hits, from Sony's It Ends With
Us ($50 million opening in 2024, ~$350 million worldwide) to Universal's Reminders of Him ($17 million debut earlier in 2026). Hathaway is having one of the busiest years of her career — she has already appeared in Mother Mary and The End of Oak Street, with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The Odyssey also arriving in 2026.
On the other side of the weekend, Tom Cruise's Digger is tracking for a disappointing $12–15 million opening amid mixed reviews. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the expensive R-rated environmental satire stars Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an aging oil tycoon trying to fix a global catastrophe caused by one of his drilling operations. The ensemble includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke and Emma D'Arcy. The film arrives in cinemas this weekend (October 2, as announced).
Why it matters: This weekend is a referendum on two very different star vehicles. A $35 million debut would confirm Hathaway as 2026's most bankable leading lady and validate the Hoover pipeline. For Digger, a $12 million opening on a big budget would extend what has already been a difficult year at the box office for Warner Bros. — and raise uncomfortable questions about whether even Tom Cruise can open an original, R-rated satire in the current market.
Madden trailer: Nicolas Cage is unrecognizable as John Madden
Prime Video dropped the first full trailer for Madden on September 24, and the internet has fixated on one thing: 62-year-old Nicolas Cage is nearly unrecognizable under prosthetics as legendary NFL coach, broadcaster and video-game namesake John Madden. Christian Bale — similarly transformed — co-stars as Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.
Directed by David O. Russell (his first film since 2022's Amsterdam), the biopic traces Madden's path from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with Davis and the Raiders, through his years as football's most recognizable television voice, to the creation of the worldwide Madden NFL video game franchise. The supporting cast includes Kathryn Hahn as Madden's wife Virginia, Sienna Miller as Davis's wife Carol, John Mulaney as EA founder Trip Hawkins and Shane Gillis.
The two-minute trailer opens with Cage's Madden roaring "I LOVE THIS GAME!" before moving through the Raiders years, a health scare that pushes him into broadcasting, and the pitch meeting that changed everything — Madden rejecting a 7-on-7 game concept outright ("You only have seven men on a team, and I'm out!") before handing over his playbook. Bale's signature line as Davis has already become the trailer's most-quoted moment: "There's only one John Madden. They didn't make another one."
The film gets a brief awards-qualifying theatrical run starting November 11 before streaming globally on Prime Video on November 18. Reports peg the production budget at around $75 million (unconfirmed by the studio).
Why it matters: Sports biopics live or die on transformation and heart, and the trailer delivers both — Cage's full-throated enthusiasm is pure Madden, and Bale disappearing into Davis opposite him is the kind of double act awards voters notice. Skipping a wide theatrical release for streaming suggests Amazon MGM is playing the prestige game: critical acclaim first, subscriber value second.
Chris Hemsworth's daughter India wins bull-riding competition
Chris Hemsworth is a proud father this week. The Thor star took to Instagram to celebrate his daughter India Rose Hemsworth after she emerged as the only girl to win a bull-riding competition, sharing videos of her hanging onto a bucking bull in a dirt arena. "Just wanna say my daughter is a savage. Only girl in the comp and took home the win. Proud moment," he wrote in the caption, alongside a lighthearted pre-ride exchange with India.
While many fans congratulated the young rider, the post also drew criticism — some followers questioned the treatment of the bull during the event and Hemsworth's decision to share the footage.
Why it matters: Celebrity parenting moments routinely become cultural flashpoints, and this one touches a live wire: youth rodeo and animal sports are increasingly debated online. Hemsworth — famously private about his kids — choosing to post it signals he sees it as a genuine achievement worth celebrating, backlash or not.
Pee-Wee Herman auction: 400+ Paul Reubens items go under the hammer October 28
More than three years after his passing, fans of Paul Reubens and his beloved character Pee-Wee Herman will get a chance to own a piece of his legacy. Julien's Auctions is presenting "Pee-Wee's Big Auction" — over 400 items from Reubens' life and career — taking place online and at The Groundlings Theatre (7307 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles) on Wednesday, October 28 at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale October 2 at Groundlings.com.
The lots span the full arc of Reubens' career: he created the Pee-Wee Herman character during an improv exercise at The Groundlings in 1978, wrote the 1985 feature Pee-Wee's Big Adventure — Tim Burton's directorial debut, which grossed over $40 million from a $7 million budget — and starred in the 1986–1990 TV series Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Among the most coveted items is the full grey suit and red bowtie Reubens wore in Netflix's 2015 film Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, which already has an opening bid of $4,000 with an auction-house estimate of $8,000–$10,000.
Why it matters: Celebrity estate auctions are part memorial, part market — and few characters are as generation-defining as Pee-Wee Herman. With 400+ lots spanning film, television and personal memorabilia, this is one of the most significant comedy-legend auctions in years, and the estimates suggest serious collector demand.
October 1 Hollywood scorecard
| Story | Key update | Status / date |
|---|---|---|
| Verity | Anne Hathaway; $30–35M projected domestic opening | In cinemas this weekend |
| Digger | Tom Cruise; Iñárritu's R-rated satire; $12–15M projection | In cinemas October 2 (as announced) |
| Madden | Cage as John Madden, Bale as Al Davis; trailer out | Theatres Nov 11; Prime Video Nov 18 |
| Chris Hemsworth | Daughter India wins bull-riding contest | Fans split; animal-treatment debate |
| Pee-Wee Herman auction | 400+ Paul Reubens items at Julien's | October 28, LA + online |
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The weekend's other big story: the Clayface opening weekend box office — $24M DC horror win.
FAQs
How much is Verity expected to earn on its opening weekend?
$30–35 million domestically from 3,510 theatres, per Variety's tracking — which would give Anne Hathaway her third No. 1 debut of 2026.
Why is Tom Cruise's Digger tracking so low?
The film is an expensive R-rated environmental satire — a tough sell theatrically — and early reviews are mixed. Its $12–15 million projection continues a difficult box-office year for Warner Bros.
When does Madden release?
David O. Russell's biopic, starring Nicolas Cage as John Madden and Christian Bale as Al Davis, opens in select theatres on November 11 before streaming globally on Prime Video on November 18.
What did Chris Hemsworth post about his daughter?
He shared videos of India Rose Hemsworth winning a bull-riding competition as the only girl in the event, captioning it "my daughter is a savage" — which drew both congratulations and criticism over animal treatment.
What is being sold in the Pee-Wee Herman auction?
Over 400 items from Paul Reubens' life and career, including the grey suit and red bowtie from Pee-Wee's Big Holiday (opening bid $4,000, estimated $8,000–$10,000). The Julien's auction takes place October 28 in Los Angeles and online.
Who plays Al Davis in Madden?
Christian Bale, starring opposite Nicolas Cage's John Madden. The cast also includes Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney and Shane Gillis.