What is ‘Verity’ about? Everything we know about Anne Hathaway's thriller
Colleen Hoover's 'Verity' is coming to theaters with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett leading the cast. The psychological thriller adapts Hoover's bestselling 2018 novel and follows a struggling writer who takes on an unusual assignment for a celebrated author. Michael Showalter directs the film from a screenplay by Nick Antosca and Colleen Hoover. Hoover also serves as a producer on the adaptation. Amazon MGM Studios will release 'Verity' in theaters on October 2.
The film follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer played by Dakota Johnson. She receives an offer from Jeremy Crawford, played by Josh Hartnett. Jeremy's wife, Verity Crawford (played by Hathaway), is a bestselling author who is unable to finish her successful book series after an accident. Lowen travels to the Crawford family's remote home and agrees to ghostwrite the remaining books in Verity's series.
While working on the project, Lowen discovers what appears to be an autobiographical manuscript written by Verity. Its contents contain disturbing revelations about the author's family and marriage. The discovery leaves Lowen questioning whether the material represents the truth. As she reads further, the boundary between fact and fiction becomes increasingly difficult to establish.
Verity's public reputation contrasts with the disturbing material Lowen encounters during her assignment, making her the central mystery of the story. The role gives Hathaway an opportunity to take on a darker character than in many of her recent performances. She also serves as a producer on the film.
Hoover originally self-published the novel before it was later picked up for wider release. The book became one of Hoover's best-known thrillers and is noted for its twists, morally complicated characters, and deliberately uncertain conclusions. The movie remains largely faithful to the novel's central premise.
Showalter has described the adaptation as a psychological thriller with suspense and erotic elements. Showalter's previous directing credits include 'The Big Sick,' 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye,' and 'The Idea of You.' The production team includes Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Stacey Sher, Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Hathaway, and Hoover.
Amazon MGM Studios will distribute the film, while Sony Pictures Releasing International will handle overseas theatrical distribution. The movie has an R rating and a runtime of 117 minutes. No streaming release date has been announced.
The film arrives with an established audience because Hoover's novel has remained a widely discussed title among her readers. Much of that interest comes from the book's controversial twists and its ambiguous approach to the truth behind the story. That uncertainty gives the adaptation an unusual challenge, as audiences familiar with the novel will already have expectations about its revelations.
