Verity (2026): cast, story, release date and box office

Colleen Hoover's 2018 novel inspired the film Verity (2026), a psychological thriller with erotic elements, directed by Michael Showalter and penned by Nick Antosca. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. It was released in the United States and Canada on October 2, 2026, by Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Releasing International. Its world premiere occurred on September 24, 2026, at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema in London.

The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, a published author in New York City, who grieves her mother's death and struggles to find audience for her work. She is approached by a publisher to help complete a novel series by Verity Crawford, a bestselling author who has been left catatonic after a car accident. Verity's husband, Jeremy, is mourning the drowning of their daughter Harper from a canoeing accident. Lowen moves into their lakeside Vermont home and begins reading Verity's copious notes to help write the next novel. She discovers an unfinished manuscript of Verity's autobiography in which she expresses infatuation with Jeremy and resentment toward her children, whom she sees as competition. Lowen abandons the manuscript midway. Verity starts catching her gaze during moments when others are unaware, and she realizes it's happening only she can perceive. Lowen successfully plans the next novel and begins an affair with Jeremy. Jeremy confesses he read Lowen's book and felt a deep connection, but lied to avoid giving Verity validation. Lowen revisits the manuscript and discovers a confession that Verity intentionally capsized the canoe to drown her children, with her son Crew surviving due to swimming ability. The manuscript ends with Verity planning to commit vehicular suicide to escape legal consequences.

Cast and characters:

• Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford
• Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh
• Josh Hartnett as Jeremy
• Ismaël Cruz Córdova in an undisclosed role
• Irina Dvorovenko in an undisclosed role

Release date: The film had its world premiere on September 24, 2026, in London, and was released in the United States and Canada on October 2, 2026.

By October 11, 2026, Verity earned $53.9 million in North America and $60.1 million globally outside that region, totaling $114 million worldwide. The film earned $14.5 million on its debut day in the U.S. and Canada, with $4.5 million coming from Thursday night screenings, reaching a total debut of $32.6 million and claiming the top spot at the box office. It dropped 64% in its second weekend, making $11.5 million.

Where to watch: The film is available in theaters. It is not listed on any streaming services. Availability may vary by country.

Behind the scenes: The film was developed by Nick Antosca, Alex Hedlund, and Eat the Cat. April Maguire and Will Honley initially wrote the screenplay before November 2020. Hilary Seitz was hired to rewrite it, and Angela LaManna contributed additional drafts. Antosca finalized the screenplay in November 2024. Anne Hathaway accepted the lead role, while Michael Showalter committed to directing the film. Josh Hartnett and Dakota Johnson joined the cast the next month. Filming started in February 2025, during which Hathaway and Hartnett shot scenes on location in New York City. The film was distributed by Amazon MGM Studios and InterCom. Music was composed by Hauschka. The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival will feature the film in its Gala section, scheduled for October 29, 2026.

Verity received mixed reviews from critics. A total of 177 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes show 32% are favorable, averaging 4.9 out of 10. Rotten Tomatoes' consensus states that Verity has all the traits of a guilty pleasure but leans more guilty than pleasurable because its plot twists feel more disappointing than engaging. Metacritic, relying on a weighted average, is not included in the available data.

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Where to watch

Verity is in US theaters now. It is not listed on a major streaming service in our records yet. Availability changes and differs by country, so check the service before you subscribe. The film box at the top of this guide links to every streaming, rental and purchase option.