Josh Hartnett Teases Verity Movie Adaptation with Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway

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Josh Hartnett doesn’t think he’s in his villain era. 

Regardless of who you ask among Colleen Hoover’s fans, the character of Jeremy in the book “Verity,” who is set to be played by the star of “Trap” alongside Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway in the upcoming adaptation, tends to be divisive. However, he recently shared his perspective as to why he feels his character shouldn’t be branded as the villain.

Josh shared during an exclusive interview at the May 6 premiere of his film “Fight or Flight” (releasing May 9), “It’s a matter of how one views things.” Essentially, he said, “You could approach it from two angles. I believe the stance you take depends largely on who you choose to follow.

Still, the 46-year-old hinted that he possesses exclusive information directly from the author, further stating, “If you believe Colleen, it’s not.” (For more updates on Josh and the Fight or Flight team, catch TopMob News tonight, May 7, at 11 p.m.)

Meanwhile, fans will need to be patient until May next year to discover what Josh is hinting at, but let’s make it clear that the actor, who is married to Tamsin Egerton and has four children with her, truly cherished working on this project. This film, which comes after Pearl Harbor, follows in the footsteps of It Ends With Us, and the October release Regretting You marks the third adaptation of Colleen’s novels.

Josh enthusiastically shared that he thoroughly enjoyed the filming process, mentioning that his decision to join the project stemmed from Anne’s participation. He explained that prior discussions about collaborating with Anne had taken place, and when this opportunity—with Anne as a producer—arose, he eagerly accepted, saying, “Absolutely! I’ve been looking forward to working with you.

Speaking about Dakota, who portrays one of Josh’s romantic interests in the movie, he remarked, “She’s simply brilliant.

Fans of the movie “Verity” can debate endlessly about whether Josh’s character is more good or bad before it reaches theaters, but there’s no doubt that his upcoming role as mercenary Lucas Reyes in “Fight or Flight” will win over audiences.

The former star of “Penny Dreadful” shared, “I’ve strived to take on engaging characters that audiences would be eager to watch in cinemas.” She added, “These roles and a few others I’ve played lately seem to resonate with the current cultural mood. It appears people are keen to see them, which has been quite exhilarating for me.

Absolutely, regardless of whether Josh’s character’s real motives are yet revealed, there’s a great deal of anticipation among viewers to see him in the movie, Verity. Continue reading for all the details about this exciting film…

—Reporting by Emily Curl

In the 2018 romantic thriller, struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh takes up a job offered by Jeremy Crawford to complete his late wife Verity Crawford’s popular book series. After an accident leaves Verity unable to finish the project, Lowen moves into the Crawfords’ home and goes through Verity’s notes on the books. However, during this process, she stumbles upon Verity’s unfinished autobiography containing shocking revelations. Initially deciding not to reveal the manuscript to Jeremy, Lowen has second thoughts once she develops feelings for him. The movie closely follows the book, with its logline reading: “At the Crawford estate, Lowen gradually discovers that things are not as they seem when she finds a secret, unfinished manuscript that might reveal disturbing truths about the family’s past. As Lowen gets closer to Jeremy and his son Crew, she must determine whether Verity’s writings are mere works of fiction or a warning from a disturbed mind.

Is it indeed true that Anne Hathaway will be starring in the movie Verity? If the formidable Miranda Priestly were present, she might find someone else more fitting to ask such questions.

However, it is confirmed! In November 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced that the actress from The Devil Wears Prada will be portraying the lead character in Verity. Although Anne Hathaway herself hasn’t yet spoken about the casting, she was spotted on the movie set in February 2025.

Moreover, the film’s author, Colleen, has expressed her delight at having the Oscar-winning actress—who is also a producer for the movie—on board. On Facebook, in November, Colleen shared her excitement about the cast, script, director, and the entire team working on Verity, stating: “Coming to theaters soon! I cannot wait. More updates coming soon!

I simply couldn’t contain my excitement when more news dropped soon! As an ardent fan, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl on Valentine’s Day to learn in December 2024 that the talented Dakota Johnson had joined the cast as Lowen Ashleigh.

Much like Anne, Dakota is not only a captivating actress but also a producer on this film. Interestingly, she runs a book club that aligns with her pursuit for high-quality content at her production company, TeaTime Pictures. Can’t wait to see what she brings to the table!

Many individuals engage in activities similar to mine, and they often participate in book clubs. However, she expressed that her reading style is unique. She shared this with Bustle in March 2024, stating, ‘The way I read books is unlike anyone else’s.’ She yearns to immerse herself fully in each book, appreciating the language, the references, and becoming enveloped by the narrative.

Simultaneously with the announcement of Dakota’s casting, it was disclosed that Josh Hartnett, famously known for his role in ‘Black Hawk Down’, would be playing Jeremy Crawford.

Just like his co-stars, Hartnett has kept quiet about the project named Verity. Nevertheless, he was spotted filming alongside Anne in February.

Following the unveiling of the three principal actors, Colleen expressed her sentiments regarding the cast. In a December Instagram post, she stated “excited doesn’t even begin to cover it.

It appears that Michael Showalter is once again taking on the role of director, this time for a movie titled “Verity.” According to Variety, he’s not only directing but also producing alongside Anne, Colleen, Dakota, and others. Interestingly, Michael and Anne have collaborated in the past, with their previous project being the 2024 film adaptation of “The Idea of You.” The current script for “Verity” is written by Nick Antosca, who has worked on shows like “Candy” and “The Act.” Previous drafts of the script were penned by Colleen, Lauren Levine, Hillary Seitz, Angela LaManna, Will Honley, and April Maguire.

In February 2025, Josh and Anne were captured on camera filming the movie “Verity” in Queens, New York. For a specific scene, Hallee from The Princess Diaries series donned a high-necked, semi-transparent white dress, complemented with a matching belt, sunglasses, and leopard-print heels. In contrast, the Black Mirror co-star opted for a gray shirt under a navy suit, paired with a brown belt and matching shoes.

In another scene, they were photographed smiling and running, where Josh was dressed in a white button-down shirt, black pants, and a bow-tie, while Anne held his suit jacket (you can view the image here). The release date for the movie is yet to be disclosed.

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2025-05-07 19:47