‘Verity’ Pits Dakota Johnson Against Anne Hathaway in a Disturbing Psychological Thriller Set to Obsess Audiences

Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway star in Verity, the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s literary phenomenon, arriving in cinemas this October. Verity now has an official trailer, and everything suggests it will be one of the most eagerly anticipated psychological thrillers of 2026. Amazon MGM Studios has unveiled the first major look at the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, with Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett leading a cast set to bring a story filled with secrets, desire, manipulation and obsession to the big screen. [irp posts="141383"] The film will arrive in international cinemas on 2 October 2026 and centres on Lowen Ashleigh, played by Dakota Johnson. Lowen is a writer going through a difficult period in her career when she receives an opportunity that is impossible to ignore: completing the bestselling book series by acclaimed author Verity Crawford, portrayed by Anne Hathaway. Verity is unable to continue writing after suffering an injury, prompting Lowen to accept the job as a ghostwriter and temporarily move into the secluded Crawford family home. What initially appears to be an extraordinary opportunity to revive her career gradually develops into an increasingly disturbing experience. While going through documents and material connected to Verity’s books, Lowen discovers a collection of apparently autobiographical writings by the author herself. Their pages contain disturbing confessions about Verity’s private life, her marriage and certain family events that completely transform Lowen’s perception of the woman whose work she has been hired to continue. From that discovery onwards, Verity constantly plays with the boundaries between reality and fiction. Lowen begins to question whether what she is reading is a genuine confession, a literary creation or something even more dangerous. Every new page raises further doubts about what really happened within the Crawford family. The situation becomes even more complicated with the presence of Jeremy Crawford, played by Josh Hartnett. Verity’s husband begins to develop an increasingly intense connection with Lowen as they live under the same roof. Attraction becomes intertwined with mystery, leaving Lowen with a crucial decision: reveal what she has discovered or keep hidden a manuscript capable of changing everything. The trailer places particular emphasis on the psychological confrontation between Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway. Verity emerges as an almost impossible presence to decipher, while Lowen attempts to understand how much she can trust what she sees inside the house. The tension between the two women looks set to become one of the film’s central driving forces. For Hathaway, the project also represents one of the most ambiguous characters of her recent career. The actress will have to construct a Verity Crawford whose true personality remains deliberately surrounded by unanswered questions, forcing audiences to constantly reconsider their own conclusions. https://youtu.be/xdPMKhjMSFs?si=a6ImYwTUXTLf_EHr The adaptation is directed by Michael Showalter, who reunites with Anne Hathaway after previously directing her in The Idea of You. The screenplay is written by Nick Antosca and Colleen Hoover, allowing the author herself to participate directly in bringing her story from the page to the screen. The cast is completed by Brady Wagner as Crew Crawford, Asel Swango as Frida and Daniel Echevarria as Alex, characters who will form part of the unsettling world surrounding the central family.