‘Verity’ Interview: Michael Showalter and Colleen Hoover

(L to R) 'Verity' director Michael Showalter and author Colleen Hoover. — (L to R) ‘Verity’ director Michael Showalter and author Colleen Hoover.

Opening in theaters on October 2nd is ‘Verity’, which is based on the popular book by Colleen Hoover (‘It Ends with Us’), and was directed by Michael Showalter (‘Oh. What. Fun.’).

The movie stars Anne Hathaway (‘The Odyssey’), Dakota Johnson (‘Madame Web’), Josh Hartnett (‘Oppenheimer’), and Ismael Cruz Córdova (‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Michael Showalter and author Colleen Hoover about their work on ‘Verity’, the director’s first reaction to the screenplay, casting Anne Hathaway, what Hoover has learned about adapting her novels into films, and what they both enjoyed about working together.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Showalter, Hoover, Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett.

Related Article: 20 Best Anne Hathaway Movies Ranked Including ‘The End of Oak Street’

(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett star in 'Verity'. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios. — (L to R) Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett star in ‘Verity’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.

Moviefone: To begin with, Michael, you’ve made films in several different genres including comedy and action. What was it about this book and the screenplay that got you excited about exploring the psychological thriller genre?

Michael Showalter: I mean, that, but also it’s a genre that I love. The erotic thriller, thrillers in general, psychological thrillers, it’s a type of movie that I love and I have wanted to do something like that. When I read the script and read the book, it felt so original to me, and it was just so exciting.

MF: Colleen, what did you learn making ‘It Ends with Us’ that prepared you for adapting ‘Verity’?

Colleen Hoover: I think I’ve absolutely learned a lot about the film process during the last several years. But I feel like every book is different because every book has been with a different team, with a different production company. But luckily I was able to be involved every step of the way on a movie that I co-wrote the script for last year, and I was very involved in ‘Verity’ in ways where Michael wanted feedback for certain things. He was so quick to just text me, ask my opinion, and involve me in a lot of the decisions. So, I’ve very much, since the beginning of ‘Verity’, felt like this was in great hands. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of it.

Anne Hathaway stars as Verity Crawford in director Michael Showalter's 'Verity', from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved. — Anne Hathaway stars as Verity Crawford in director Michael Showalter’s ‘Verity’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Michael, you’ve worked with Anne Hathaway before on ‘The Idea of You’. Was she the first person you thought of for the role of Verity?

MS: Very much, she was the first person. It was sort of like, the dream is to have Anne Hathaway play Verity, and so when we offered it to her, everyone was holding their breath hoping to God that she would do it. Yes, once we had Anne playing Verity, everything else kind of fell into place after that.

MF: Colleen, what was your experience like collaborating with Michael on this film?

CH: The first meeting I had with him was over Zoom and it was with a bunch of other people. With Michael, what you see is what you get, and he doesn’t put on airs. I was very nervous because he wasn’t funny that day. He was pretty intimidating. So, before meeting him in person, I was kind of scared of him. But then, I feel like we instantly connected. By then, I had seen the care he had put into the development of this film. So I was like, “Oh, he’s the perfect person for this book to be with.”

MF: Finally, Michael, what did you enjoy about working with Colleen?

MS: Colleen’s very funny. Colleen has a funny sense of humor. I think that’s something we bonded over early on, was teasing and kind of poking at each other.

Editorial Note: James White conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

Dakota Johnson stars as Lowen Ashleigh in director Michael Showalter's 'Verity', from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved. — Dakota Johnson stars as Lowen Ashleigh in director Michael Showalter’s ‘Verity’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill. © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

What is the plot of ‘Verity’?

Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is a writer in need of work when she is contacted by Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett). Jeremy’s wife is bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). Due to a mysterious accident, she is unable to finish her successful book series. Jeremy asks Lowen to complete the series, and while working on it, she discovers a manuscript, raising questions regarding Verity’s psychological well-being and possible links to her publications.