Anne Hathaway’s First Villain Role in 6 Years is the Perfect Follow-Up to Sydney Sweeney’s Hit Thriller

by

Get ready for a new psychological thriller that’s already creating a buzz! Amazon MGM Studios, known for its successful adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s novels like It Ends With Us, Regretting You, and Reminders of Him, is now bringing Hoover’s most intense book yet, the erotic thriller Verity, to the screen. Early reactions suggest it’s similar in tone to the gripping thriller The Housemaid, which recently starred Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.

The new trailer for Verity immediately sets a chilling mood and shows us something rare: Anne Hathaway playing a character who seems to be the villain. While she famously played a complex character in The Dark Knight Rises and was a villain in the 2020 film The Witches, Verity casts her in a similar role to Seyfried’s in The Housemaid, with Johnson as the innocent counterpart. Josh Hartnett also stars, and the story is filled with secrets that build to a dramatic climax. If you enjoyed The Housemaid, you’ll likely be captivated by this new thriller. Check out the trailer here!

Verity Is Adapting a Beloved Bestselling Novel

Directed by Michael Showalter, Verity tells the story of Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a writer who is hired to finish the book series of bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). Verity is unable to continue writing after an accident, and her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), needs someone to take over. While working at the Crawford’s home, Lowen discovers a hidden manuscript filled with shocking secrets, turning a simple writing job into a dangerous situation. This film marks another collaboration between Showalter and Hathaway, following their work together on The Idea of You.

I first discovered Verity when the author, Colleen Hoover, self-published it in late 2018. It really took off, and Grand Central Publishing picked it up in 2021. It quickly became a huge hit, landing on bestseller lists like the New York Times, USA Today, and even international ones like the Globe and Mail. It was even nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award! What really hooked me, and so many others, was the intense suspense. The story is told by someone you can’t quite trust, and there’s this hidden manuscript that makes you question everything. It’s a book that’s sparked so much debate – is Verity a villain, or is she a victim? It’s a question people are still talking about, and that’s what makes this book so special and keeps it relevant even now.

The success of Verity hinges on the talents of two actresses who can evoke both sympathy and fear. Academy Award winner Hathaway expertly portrays a character who feels threatening to the audience but remains enigmatic to those within the story. Johnson, known for her subtle vulnerability and hidden intelligence, perfectly embodies the complex character of Lowen Ashleigh. Director Showalter, who previously directed Jessica Chastain to an Oscar win in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, is skilled at drawing nuanced, psychologically complex performances from his actors. Adding to the film’s promise, author Colleen Hoover is also a producer, demonstrating her trust in Showalter and screenwriter Nick Antosca’s adaptation of her most disturbing novel.

The new movie, Verity, will be in theaters on October 2, 2026. Are you looking forward to seeing it? Share your thoughts and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/list/7-great-thriller-films-nobody-talks-about/embed/#

Read More

2026-04-28 15:11