Dakota Johnson Makes a Bold Confession About Her 'Verity' Co-Star Anne Hathaway

Adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s novels rarely arrive quietly, and ‘Verity’ is no exception. The film is a psychological erotic thriller directed by Michael Showalter, with a script by Nick Antosca, and stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. Amazon MGM Studios is releasing it in the United States and Canada on Oct. 2, 2026.

The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired as a ghostwriter for bestselling author Verity Crawford under mysterious circumstances. The assignment turns darker once she discovers chilling autobiographical notes. The first teaser leaned hard into that gothic tension, with a kiss scene that ends in a bloody bite.

With the premiere now less than 2 weeks away, the press tour has kicked into gear, and one soundbite is pulling in attention. On Sept. 20, the X account Film Updates shared a quote attributed to Johnson from the ‘Verity’ press. In it, she said she would kiss Annie, meaning Hathaway, for the rest of her life.

Dakota Johnson says she'd kiss #Verity co-star Anne Hathaway "for the rest of my life." 😘 Full interview 🔗: https://t.co/1RQKyhyAek pic.twitter.com/QpgittPuc0
— ExtraTV (@extratv) September 21, 2026

The nickname adds a small layer of context. Johnson’s use of Annie refers to Hathaway, who has previously said she prefers that name over Anne. It’s a subtle sign of the familiarity between the co-stars, which suits a film that leans heavily on the chemistry between its leads.

Dakota Johnson is spotted leaving the "Verity" press junket in New York City. pic.twitter.com/xNZRf0srlN
— 21 (@21metgala) September 19, 2026

Reactions online haven’t been uniform, however. IBTimes reports that the remark drew mixed responses, with some commenters enthusiastically agreeing and others confused or unimpressed. That split is pretty typical for viral press soundbites, especially when they involve a film built on provocation.

The comment also fits neatly into the movie’s marketing. Johnson and Hathaway share an intimate kiss in the film, which makes her remark feel like a natural extension of the story. And since the teaser itself was built around a steamy, twisted kiss, the joke lands right on the movie’s most talked-about image.

Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson sharing that kiss in their upcoming movie "Verity" is just insane 🔥❤️ pic.twitter.com/wcXj3Vplfo
— Pragya (@praggya_) September 20, 2026

‘Verity’ has already had a bumpy path to theaters. Variety reported earlier that the film was originally set for a wide release on May 15, 2026, before moving to October. Amazon MGM later unveiled its first trailer at CinemaCon, where the studio described the story as a gothic, psychosexual thriller.

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

Whether the film delivers on all that hype remains to be seen. For now, one candid line from a press interview has done a lot of the promotional heavy lifting, and it’s a reminder that a co-star’s playful praise can sometimes travel further than a trailer.