The thrill of ‘Verity’

Adapting Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel Verity gave director Michael Showalter the chance to make the kind of psychological thriller he has long wanted to create.

Known for character-driven films, Showalter drew inspiration from classic suspense filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Adrian Lyne and Brian De Palma.

"It's very escapist. It's suspenseful, it's sexy, it combines all these different cinematic elements and allows for humor, visual storytelling," Showalter said. "The joy of cinematic storytelling is so present in those kinds of thrillers. This was an opportunity to try to do one myself."

Based on Hoover's 2018 novel, Verity follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who is hired to finish the work of bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). But after moving into the Crawford estate, Lowen discovers disturbing manuscripts that blur the line between fiction and reality, drawing her closer to Verity's husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett).

Hoover said writing Verity marked a departure from the romance novels that made her famous.

"I have a dark sense of humor and am definitely not as romantic or emotional as the characters in some of my books," she said.

Producer Alex Hedlund recalled immediately seeing the novel's cinematic potential. "It was provocative, it was sexy, it was fun, it was shocking," he said.

Screenwriter Nick Antosca, meanwhile, added that the story's mystery is what keeps readers hooked.

"It's fun, it's juicy, it's kind of disturbing... and it leaves you with questions," he concluded.

Despite changes for the adaptation, Hoover expressed confidence in the filmmakers.

Verity opens in Philippine cinemas on 30 September.