Anne Hathaway is set to headline the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel Verity, taking on the role of Verity Crawford. In this dark and suspenseful thriller, Verity is a renowned author left incapacitated after a devastating car accident. Struggling to finish her acclaimed thriller series, her husband Jeremy hires a young writer, Lowen, to complete the work. However, as Lowen delves into Verity’s notes, she uncovers disturbing revelations, including an unfinished manuscript that could expose sinister secrets about Verity and her family. This leaves Lowen questioning whether Verity is a literary genius or a deeply disturbed individual. Casting for Jeremy and Lowen is still in progress.
The film will be directed by Michael Showalter, reuniting him with Hathaway after their collaboration on The Idea of You. Showalter, known for The Big Sick and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, will direct the project under Amazon MGM, with plans for a theatrical release. The screenplay went through several iterations, including drafts by Hillary Seitz, Angela LaManna, and Will Honley & April Maguire, before landing with Nick Antosca.
Hathaway, Hoover, and Showalter are also producing the film through their respective production companies: Somewhere Pictures, Heartbones Entertainment, and Semi-Formal Productions. Other producers include Antosca of Eat the Cat, Jordana Mollick of Semi-Formal, and Stacey Sher of Shiny Penny. Lauren Levine of Heartbones will executive produce. The film is part of Semi-Formal’s first-look deal with Amazon MGM.
Originally self-published in 2018, Verity quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spending months on the New York Times bestseller list and selling over a million copies in 2023 alone. Described as a “gothic, psychosexual thriller” akin to Rebecca and Gone Girl, the story’s gripping narrative has kept readers enthralled for years.
This isn’t Hoover’s first venture into Hollywood. Her novel It Ends With Us, directed by Justin Baldoni and starring Blake Lively, became a global hit earlier this year, grossing $349 million against a modest $25 million budget. While a sequel to the novel exists, its on-screen continuation is unlikely due to reported on-set conflicts. Another of Hoover’s works, Reminders of Him, is currently being adapted by Universal Pictures.
Hathaway’s upcoming projects include Mother’s Instinct alongside Jessica Chastain, Mother Mary, Flowervale Street, and her much-anticipated return as Mia Thermopolis in Disney’s The Princess Diaries 3. With a career spanning hits like The Devil Wears Prada, Les Misérables, and The Dark Knight Rises, Hathaway’s involvement in Verity adds to the anticipation surrounding the adaptation.
Deadline Hollywood first broke the news of Hathaway’s casting and Showalter’s involvement.