Anne Hathaway has already been in two of 2026’s biggest hits. Now she’s closing out her year with something much darker – and box office trackers think it could be the sleeper hit of the fall. The Verity movie, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s twisty bestseller, opens in theaters this Friday, Oct. 2, and it’s going head-to-head with a Tom Cruise movie on the same night.
Here’s everything you need to know before you buy a ticket: the release date, how to watch, who plays who, how the film lines up with the book (no spoilers, promise), the rating, early buzz and what the opening weekend could look like.
Verity Movie Release Date: When and Where to Watch
The short answer: theaters only, starting Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Amazon says the film is releasing in theaters worldwide that day. Amazon MGM Studios is handling the U.S. and Canada, while Sony Pictures Releasing International distributes it overseas.
If you’re hoping to watch it on your couch, you’ll have to wait. Even though Amazon owns Prime Video, the studio is marketing the Verity movie as “only in theaters,” and no streaming or digital rental date has been announced. Entertainment sites expect it to land on Prime Video after its theatrical run, but that’s a guess, not an official date.
Fun fact: the movie was originally set for May 15, 2026, before Amazon moved it to the fall. That shift now puts it right in the Halloween-season window, which suits a psychological thriller just fine.
What Is the Verity Movie About?
Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who gets a job offer she can’t refuse. Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett) wants her to finish the bestselling book series his wife, Verity (Hathaway), can no longer write after a serious accident.
To do the job, Lowen moves into the family’s remote home. While sorting through Verity’s notes, she finds what looks like a secret autobiography – and it’s deeply disturbing. According to Amazon’s official synopsis, Lowen then “finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.”
That’s all you need going in. Trust us, the less you know about the Verity movie, the better it plays.
Verity Movie Cast: Who Plays Who
The Verity movie leans hard on three big names who had never worked together before. Director Michael Showalter compared them to a “super group,” the Associated Press reported.
- Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford – the wildly successful author at the center of the mystery. Hathaway is also a producer on the film.
- Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh – the ghostwriter who moves into the Crawford house. Johnson is an executive producer.
- Josh Hartnett as Jeremy Crawford – Verity’s devoted, maybe-too-charming husband.
- Brady Wagner as Crew Crawford – Verity and Jeremy’s young son.
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Corey – listed on Rotten Tomatoes’ cast page.
Amazon’s cast list also includes Asel Swango (“Power Book II: Ghost”) and Daniel Echevarria (“Daredevil: Born Again”).
Behind the camera, Showalter reunites with Hathaway after the 2024 romance The Idea of You. Nick Antosca (“The Act”) wrote the screenplay, and Hoover is a producer. Showalter told the AP that Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca was a major touchstone, which tells you a lot about the vibe: gothic house, a missing woman’s shadow and a new arrival who isn’t sure what’s real.
Hathaway said the shoot got silly at times. “There’s just something about knowing that you’re supposed to be scary that makes you giggle,” she told the AP.
Verity Movie vs. the Book: What Readers Should Know
Hoover self-published Verity in 2018 through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, and it became one of her most talked-about books – a dark detour from the romances she’s best known for. Here’s what fans should expect from the Verity movie, with zero plot spoilers:
- The premise is intact. The ghostwriter, the house, the secret manuscript and the love triangle all carry over, based on the official synopsis.
- It’s not a romance. The trailers sell steam, but this is a psychological thriller first. Johnson told the AP it “seemed really fun to play somebody who’s deeply unwell.”
- Some new faces. A few supporting names on Amazon’s cast list may not ring a bell for readers, which suggests the script adds or reshapes minor roles.
- The ending debate. The novel is famous for an ending readers still argue about. Whether the film keeps it exactly, tweaks it or leaves the same room for debate is something you’ll have to see for yourself. We won’t say more.
One detail from the AP: the movie includes a fantasy sequence that goes further than the page, and Johnson gets to blow vape smoke in Hathaway’s face. Pulpy fun appears to be the point.
If you haven’t read it yet, Amazon notes the book is currently in the Kindle Unlimited catalog, so you could still squeeze it in before the weekend.
Runtime and Rating: Is It Okay for Teens?
The Verity movie is rated R for “sexual content, some nudity, language, violence and bloody images,” per the official credits. That’s a lot of boxes checked, so parents of younger teens should treat this as an adults-only night out.
The runtime is just under two hours. Wikipedia lists 117 minutes, while Rotten Tomatoes shows 1 hour 54 minutes, so plan for roughly two hours plus trailers.
Early Reactions: A Divided First Wave
Full reviews of the Verity movie were still thin as of Wednesday. Rotten Tomatoes had not yet posted a Tomatometer score when we checked.
The first social reactions, rounded up by ScreenRant, were split. Some early viewers called it a wild, perfect-for-fall ride. Others were harsher, with one Letterboxd user comparing it to a knockoff Gone Girl. In other words, expect a “love it or roll your eyes” movie – which, honestly, is very on-brand for a Hoover adaptation.
Box Office Preview: Verity vs. Tom Cruise’s Digger
This is where it gets interesting. The Verity movie cost a reported $40 million to make, which is modest for a star-driven studio release. Tracking has it opening between roughly $19 million and $29 million domestically:
| Projection source | Opening weekend estimate |
|---|---|
| Global Box Office (via Comic Basics) | $19M – $25M |
| Box Office Theory (via SlashFilm) | $20M – $29M |
SlashFilm went as far as calling it the likely “sleeper hit of the fall movie season,” pointing to the reasonable budget, Hoover’s fan base and Hathaway’s momentum. Hoover’s track record helps: It Ends With Us made about $351 million worldwide and Regretting You made about $90 million, according to SlashFilm.
The competition is real, though. Digger, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s satirical black comedy starring Tom Cruise as an oil tycoon, opens from Warner Bros. the same day. It’s a bigger swing, with a reported $125 million budget, and early critical reactions have been mixed – Rotten Tomatoes’ first-reviews roundup called it “ambitious but muddled.” SlashFilm says both films are looking at similar openings, but gives the Verity movie the edge, noting that movies aimed at women have generally overperformed in recent years.
For fall moviegoers, that makes this weekend a genuine two-horse race. For more on what else is coming, check out our guide to the fall 2026 movies that could rescue the box office.
Anne Hathaway’s Big Year Ends Here
The Verity movie caps a remarkable run. According to the AP, it’s Hathaway’s fifth major theatrical release of 2026, alongside Mother Mary, The End of Oak Street, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. SlashFilm reports The Odyssey has earned $1.72 billion and Prada 2 made $693 million.
She’s also expecting her third child and told the AP she’s ready for a break. “I’m going to rest pretty soon,” she said. “This is the last one.”
Should You See the Verity Movie This Weekend?
Here’s the quick checklist:
- Go if you loved the book, like campy-smart thrillers in the Gone Girl or Rebecca lane, or just want to see Hathaway and Johnson square off.
- Skip or wait if R-rated sexual content isn’t your thing, or you’d rather stream it later on Prime Video (no date yet).
- Book early if you want a Friday or Saturday night seat – pre-sales have been described as strong.
- Avoid spoilers by muting “Verity” on social media until you’ve seen it. The ending is the whole conversation.
Going this weekend? Grab your tickets, keep your phone off, and check back with USA One News on Monday for the opening weekend numbers – and to find out whether Hathaway or Cruise won the box office showdown.
