Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett join Anne Hathaway in Colleen Hoover's 'Verity' adaptation

A version of a bestselling novel

This cinematic task is primarily based on Verity, which has achieved the fame of a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. Verity was self-published in 2018. It was loved by readers, and therefore, it spent months on the bestsellers list, selling more than 1 million copies in 2023 alone.
Earlier drafts of the screenplay included contributions from the writer, Colleen Hoover, in addition to Lauren Levine, Hillary Seitz, Angela Lamanna, Will Honley, and April Maguire.

An esteemed production team

The production team for Verity comprises prominent individuals such as Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund from Eat the Cat, Michael Showalter and Jordana Mollick from Semi-Formal Productions, and Anne Hathaway, who represents her production company, Somewhere Pictures.
Colleen Hoover will be a producer through Heartbones Entertainment, partnering with Stacy Sher of Shiny Penny. Additionally, Dakota Johnson will assume the role of executive producer alongside Lauren Levine from Heartbones Entertainment.

Plot Overview: A gripping thriller

The narrative centers around Lowen Ashleigh, a writer engaged by Jeremy Crawford, to complete Verity's unfinished book series. Upon relocating to the opulent Crawford Estate, Lowen discovers disturbing secrets within Verity’s manuscripts, compelling her to question whether the writings are fictional narratives, haunting confessions, or something more malevolent. Anne Hathaway plays Verity, Josh Hartnett portrays her husband Jeremy, and Dakota Johnson assumes the role of Lowen Ashleigh.

Popularity of Verity

Verity initially garnered attention following its self-publication in 2018. The novel's popularity surged in 2021, primarily fueled by social media platforms such as BookTok and Bookstagram, leading to sales exceeding 1 million copies in 2023. This remarkable performance has become a contemporary classic within the gothic thriller genre.

Colleen Hoover's recent achievements

Colleen Hoover has recently experienced considerable success in both the literary and cinematic arenas. Another of her works, It Ends With Us, was transformed into a film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. It was released in August 2024 and generated a substantial global box office revenue of $346 million.

Recent endeavours of lead actors

Dakota Johnson recently starred in Daddio alongside Sean Penn and has upcoming roles in Materialists, directed by Celine Song, and Splitsville, directed by Michael Angelo Covino. Josh Hartnett has also had a notable run, appearing in the critically acclaimed film Oppenheimer as Ernest Lawrence and participating in a celebrated episode of The Bear, in addition to M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Trap.

Building anticipation for Verity

With a distinguished cast, an engaging narrative, and a robust production team, Verity has all the ingredients that thriller and literary adaptation enthusiasts are unlikely to overlook.