Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson star in this buzzy erotic thriller.

Anne Hathaway in ‘Verity’.Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Colleen Hoover’s Verity is the bestselling author’s latest novel to transition from page to screen, following a trio of hits that include It Ends With Us, Regretting You, and Reminders of Him. Each of those movies cleaned up at the worldwide box office, and it’s hard to imagine Verity won’t follow in their footsteps, what with a cast that includes Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson.

Hoover is a one-of-a-kind sensation, a self-published author whose works exploded on social media years after they were initially published. By 2023, she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Hoover adaptations have proven fruitful over the past few years, but Verity could very well be the author’s biggest success yet. There’s the cast, sure, but it’s also helmed by Michael Showalter, who pivoted from directing cult comedies like Wet Hot American Summer and They Came Together to acclaimed dramas like The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and The Idea of You, which also starred Hathaway.

So, when does Verity come out? And who’s playing who? Read on for everything we know so far about Verity.

What is Verity about?

Dakota Johnson’s Lowen reading a Verity Crawford novel in ‘Verity’.Alisha Wetherill/Amazon MGM Studios

Verity, originally published in 2018, is a psychological thriller about renowned author Lowen Ashleigh, a ghostwriter hired by Jeremy Crawford, the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, to finish Verity’s popular book series. Verity, you see, has been injured in a mysterious accident.

After Lowen uproots to Verity’s estate, however, she discovers an unpublished autobiography with disturbing revelations about the author and her family. This, in turn, causes Lowen to question the truth about Verity’s condition — and her relationship to Jeremy.

It all builds to an ending that Hoover fans love to debate. Hoover herself addressed the adaptation’s approach to the ending in a Today interview.

“That’s been the biggest challenge,” she said. “I’ve seen about seven different endings, but I feel like we were all on the same page with the one we wanted to go with.”

Who’s in the cast of Verity?

Anne Hathaway as Verity and Josh Hartnett as Jeremy in ‘Verity’.Alisha Wetherill/Amazon MGM Studios

An all-star cast comprised of Dakota Johnson (50 Shades of Grey), Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada), and Josh Hartnett (Trap) leads Verity, with Johnson starring as Lowen and Hathaway and Hartnett playing the Crawfords.

“It’s sexy, it’s mysterious, and it’s a little bit gothic and a little bit scary, and it’s wild,” Hartnett said in a recent interview. And I think it’s gonna be surprising for audiences.”

Verity also marks the big-screen debut of Alex Cooper, host of the popular podcast Call Her Daddy; a teaser for the movie that aired in April at Las Vegas’ CinemaCon begins with footage of Verity being interviewed by Cooper, according to Deadline.

Hoover, meanwhile, told USA Today in March that the Crawford family’s estate, as it’s depicted in the adaptation, is a character unto itself.

“I feel like I didn’t even come close to doing justice to the house like they did in the movie,” she said. “Even the roof line is a bunch of V’s, and on the inside, you walk in, and somehow it looks like canoes. It was almost like the house was built for the movie, so it becomes its own character.”

Is there a Verity trailer?

The first Verity trailer, released in April, promises an erotic thriller with a dash of psychological horror.

It begins with a pearl-clutching sequence in which Lowen is seen passionately kissing Jeremy, whose face suddenly morphs into Verity’s. Verity bites Lowen’s lip before offering a bloody smile.

From there, we get equal parts skin and struggle, with scenes of fevered intimacy set set beside shots of a blood-splattered Lowen, an infirm Verity, and what sure looks like a body being dumped in water.

“Even with my generous warning, you’re going to continue to ingest my words,” intones Verity over the action. “But know one thing: There is no light where we’re going. Darkness ahead.”

Is there a Verity release date?

Josh Hartnett as Jeremy in ‘Verity’.Amazon MGM Studios

Verity splashes into theaters on Oct. 2, 2026.