Level 1 - Absolute Beginner
A new movie is number one. It is called Verity. It made 32.6 million dollars in its first weekend.
Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway are in the movie. Josh Hartnett is in it too.
A Tom Cruise movie opened the same weekend. It is called Digger. It made about 8 million dollars.
People gave both films a C+. That is not a very high grade.
- movie
- A story shown on a big screen.
- weekend
- Saturday and Sunday.
- million
- A very big number: 1,000,000.
- star
- To be a main actor in a film.
- grade
- A letter that shows how good something is.
- open
- To start showing in cinemas.
- number one
- The best or first.
- actor
- A person who plays a role in a film.
Level 2 - Elementary
The thriller Verity opened at number one in North American cinemas last weekend. It earned an estimated 32.6 million dollars from 3,510 theaters. The studio, Amazon MGM, had expected between 27 and 30 million.
The film stars Dakota Johnson, with Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett in supporting roles. It is based on a book by Colleen Hoover.
Digger, a film with Tom Cruise, opened the same weekend but earned only about 8 million dollars. That is about a quarter of what Verity made.
Audiences were not very excited. Both films received a C+ from the CinemaScore poll, and for Verity it is the lowest score so far for a film made from a Hoover book.
- theater
- A building where people watch films.
- estimate
- A careful guess about a number.
- supporting role
- A part that is not the main one.
- poll
- A survey that asks people for their opinion.
- studio
- A company that makes films.
- earn
- To get money for work or sales.
- audience
- The people who watch a film.
- expect
- To think that something will happen.
Level 3 - Intermediate
Verity, the Amazon MGM thriller starring Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, took first place at the North American box office with an estimated 32.6 million dollars from 3,510 theaters, an average of about 9,300 dollars per location. The studio had projected an opening between 27 and 30 million.
Tom Cruise's Digger fared far worse. It opened to roughly 8 million dollars, about a quarter of its rival's total, and one report said the film is also struggling abroad. Resident Evil took second place with 12.5 million dollars, ahead of Heart of the Beast at 11 million.
The audience verdict was cool. Both Verity and Digger received a C+ CinemaScore, which for Verity is the weakest mark yet for an adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel. One analyst noted that the figure is well above average for the genre in spite of weak reviews and audience ratings.
One outlet forecast that Verity would pass 50 million dollars domestically after its second weekend, but that is a projection, not a reported result. Second-weekend figures were not available when this article was written.
- box office
- The money a film earns from ticket sales.
- project
- To predict a future amount.
- per location
- For each cinema, on average.
- fare
- To perform in a certain way.
- adaptation
- A film or show made from a book.
- verdict
- An opinion reached after thought.
- domestically
- Inside one's own country.
- forecast
- A prediction.
Level 4 - Advanced
Verity delivered the kind of opening that studios plan for and rarely get: an estimated 32.6 million dollars from 3,510 theaters, ahead of Amazon MGM's own projection of 27 to 30 million, and enough to lead the North American chart. The cast of Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett gave a book-sourced thriller the marquee appeal that its genre sometimes lacks.
The contrast with Tom Cruise's Digger was stark. It debuted at roughly 8 million dollars, about a quarter of Verity's take, and has reportedly struggled internationally as well. In a crowded frame, Resident Evil collected 12.5 million and Heart of the Beast 11 million, which suggests that the audience has money to spend on genre films but is choosy about which ones.
Audience reaction was a more qualified story. Both leading titles drew a C+ CinemaScore, and for Verity that is the lowest grade given to any Colleen Hoover adaptation. One analyst observed that the opening is nonetheless well above average for the genre despite weak reviews and audience ratings, which points to marketing and brand loyalty doing the early work.
The real test is the second weekend, when word of mouth replaces advertising. A forecast cited by one outlet has Verity passing 50 million dollars domestically, but that is a projection and not a reported figure, and the October 9 to 11 results were not available at the time of writing. A steep drop would confirm that the C+ matters; a gentle one would suggest that fans are forgiving.
- marquee
- Having a famous name that attracts a crowd.
- debut
- A first public appearance or release.
- frame
- Here, a single weekend of ticket sales.
- choosy
- Careful and selective about what one chooses.
- qualified
- Limited or not fully positive.
- loyalty
- Strong, lasting support.
- word of mouth
- Spreading opinion by people talking to each other.
- steep
- Very sharp, as a fall or rise.
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