‘Verity’ Star Dakota Johnson Reveals What It Was Really Like Filming Steamy ‘Verity’ Scenes With Anne Hathaway

Colleen Hoover’s twisted bestseller is finally heading to the big screen, and Dakota Johnson’s steamy ‘Verity’ scenes with Anne Hathaway are already stirring up plenty of buzz. The psychological thriller, which Hoover self-published in 2018, went on to become a bestseller, and she once said it was the book she had the most fun writing.

The adaptation opens in theaters on October 2 through Amazon MGM Studios. Michael Showalter directs, reuniting with Hathaway after ‘The Idea of You’, while Nick Antosca wrote the screenplay.

Now, the stars are pulling back the curtain on what happened behind the scenes. Johnson has opened up about filming the film’s sensual scenes with Hathaway, describing the experience as incredibly comfortable and enjoyable.

The film’s more intimate moments came together in a collaborative way. Showalter explained that an intimate hug between Lowen and Jeremy struck him as potentially charged, and the actresses then pushed the idea further.

According to Showalter, Hathaway and Johnson suggested that a make-out scene between Lowen and Jeremy could transform into one with Verity, and he agreed. That twist echoes the first footage shown at CinemaCon, where Lowen appears to be kissing Jeremy, only for it to be revealed that she’s actually kissing Verity.

The trust on set may explain why the actresses felt free to experiment. Hathaway and Showalter’s earlier work together on ‘The Idea of You’ gave them a comfortable rhythm, and both Hathaway and Johnson also served as producers on the film alongside Hoover and Showalter.

Johnson has spoken openly about her approach to intimate scenes before. On a June episode of the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler, she joked that she doesn’t need to prepare for them, explaining that she mainly works out her character’s background.

She credited her mother, Melanie Griffith, for raising her to love her body and talk openly about sex. That upbringing, she said, has helped her feel brave when shooting such vulnerable scenes.

Described as a “gothic, psychosexual thriller,” the story centers on famed author Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway, who is badly injured after a devastating car accident. Her husband Jeremy, played by Josh Hartnett, hires struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, played by Johnson, to finish the remaining books in Verity’s successful series.

While sorting through years of notes in Verity’s chaotic office, Lowen uncovers an unfinished autobiography filled with bone-chilling admissions. As she reads, she must decide whether Verity is a gifted storyteller or a deranged psychopath. Complicating matters further, Jeremy begins a romance with Lowen while Verity is still alive. Ismael Cruz Córdova also appears in the film as Corey.

Filming offered its own share of dramatic moments. On March 12, Johnson and Hartnett were spotted shooting outside New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, with Johnson covered in fake blood for the opening scene of Hoover’s book.

Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett star in an all-new trailer for #Verity.

In theaters October 2. pic.twitter.com/niq02J5nO5

— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) August 11, 2026

Hathaway was photographed shooting in Queens a couple of days earlier. Johnson later shared in May that she had wrapped filming. The project was also given a theatrical release rather than going straight to streaming. At CinemaCon, Hathaway promised fans that seeing the film in theaters would give them the shared experience they had been waiting for.

With a beloved book, a star-studded cast, and some daring creative choices, ‘Verity’ is shaping up to be one of the fall’s most talked-about thrillers. Johnson and Hathaway’s willingness to lean into the story’s darker, sexier edges could make it even more memorable for fans.

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