Verity Brings Colleen Hoover Thriller to Theatres on 2 October
Colleen Hoover's psychological thriller Verity reaches theatres on 2 October, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, as reported by Variety.
Hathaway plays bestselling author Verity Crawford. Johnson plays Lowen, with Hartnett as Jeremy, according to the same report. The line-up was built around Hathaway, with Johnson and Hartnett signing on to star opposite her in December 2024, as reported by Variety.
The set-up is simple. Lowen is a struggling writer hired to ghostwrite — to write a book that will be published under someone else's name — the final novel in Verity's book series. Verity cannot finish it herself after an accident leaves her confined to a wheelchair, as described by Variety.
Hoover is the author behind It Ends with Us, Verity and Reminders of Him, and has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, according to Variety. Her screen track record is already clear. The film version of It Ends with Us, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, earned more than $350 million at the global box office, as reported by Variety on 23 September 2026.
Direction comes from Michael Showalter. He first gained notice with sketch troupe The State before co-writing and starring in the 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, then directed The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Hulu's series The Dropout, according to Variety. The screenplay is credited to Showalter alongside Nick Antosca.
Showalter stayed close to the source during pre-production. He texted Hoover day and night with questions about the psychology of the characters while sharpening the script, as reported by Variety. Hoover's book is described as a psychological thriller, a story built around suspense and the inner lives of its characters.
The production gave an early look at CinemaCon, where Hathaway and Johnson appeared to tease the trailer, as reported by Variety. Johnson arrives with earlier experience in the genre, having played Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades film trilogy, as noted by Variety.
What makes this stand out for cinema-goers is the chain behind it. A novel with a large readership, a director rooted in comedy and drama, and three widely known leads meet in one October release. For fans, this means a familiar book plot now playing out on a much larger screen.
