Colleen Hoover teases possible return to ‘Verity’ universe: Exclusive

PHILADELPHIA - Could there be more to the twisted world of Verity?

Bestselling author Colleen Hoover isn’t ruling it out.

As the film adaptation of her psychological thriller hits theaters, Hoover is opening up about the possibility of revisiting the story and which character could inspire an entirely new chapter.

In an exclusive interview with FOX 29’s Kamryn Scrivens, Hoover and director Michael Showalter discussed bringing the bestselling novel to the big screen, while stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett revealed what went into portraying some of Hoover’s most complicated characters.

Could there be another ‘Verity’ book?

For readers who have spent years debating the novel’s ambiguous ending, Hoover’s latest comments may be particularly intriguing.

When asked whether she would ever consider revisiting the story through the perspective of Verity Crawford or her husband, Jeremy, Hoover admitted the idea has crossed her mind.

"I was like, man, this would be so much fun to write from Verity’s point of view," said Hoover.

However, the author acknowledged that revealing too much could undermine what makes the story so compelling.

"I do think it would ruin the thing I love the most about this, and that’s the ambiguity of the truth," she explained.

But that doesn’t mean Hoover has completely closed the door on the Verity universe.

"Not to say that I wouldn’t revisit this world," Hoover continued. "I feel like Crew as an adult is gonna be really messed up and fun to explore. So that would be fun someday."

Crew, the young son of Verity and Jeremy Crawford, plays an important role in the family’s disturbing history.

While Hoover hasn’t announced plans for another installment, imagining what adulthood might look like for a child raised in such extraordinary circumstances could open the door to an entirely different story.

When Scrivens joked that perhaps an adult Crew wouldn’t see a therapist, Hoover offered an even darker possibility.

"Or maybe he sees a bad therapist who makes it even worse," Hoover joked.

For now, it’s simply an idea — but one that could certainly give Verity fans something new to speculate about.

Dakota Johnson calls her ‘Verity’ character a ‘freak’

While Hoover is entertaining the possibility of exploring another character’s future, Dakota Johnson is bringing one of the novel’s most complicated characters to life in the present.

Johnson portrays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who accepts an opportunity to complete a series of books for successful author Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway.

But after arriving at the Crawford family home, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that threatens to unravel everything she believes about the family.

When asked what Lowen’s intimate relationships reveal about her emotional state, Johnson offered a characteristically candid response, jokingly describing Lowen as a "freak."

But beneath the humor, Johnson sees a woman desperately searching for connection.

"I think for her it’s more about, like, feeling real," Johnson explained. "I think she’s so in the depths of her darkness and grief and kind of like a strange psychosis."

According to Johnson, intimacy becomes a way for Lowen to escape her emotional isolation.

"I think it’s a way for her to connect with another human and to feel seen and feel alive and wanted," she continued.

It’s a perspective that adds another layer to a character whose motivations become increasingly difficult to decipher as the story unfolds.

Josh Hartnett on the mystery surrounding Jeremy Crawford

Josh Hartnett plays Jeremy Crawford, Verity’s husband, whose relationship with Lowen becomes increasingly complicated as disturbing details about the family’s past begin to emerge.

During the interview, Scrivens revisited a conversation Hartnett gave in 2001 about his role as Hugo in ‘O,’ a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Othello.’

The discussion centered on manipulation, intelligence and the role emotions play in human behavior — themes that also surface in Verity.

But Hartnett doesn’t necessarily view Jeremy as a calculating manipulator.

"I don’t really think of Jeremy as being overtly manipulative," Hartnett explained.

Instead, the actor approached Jeremy as someone struggling with circumstances that have spiraled beyond his control.

"He potentially did something that was really awful, but it came out of a place of grief and confusion and a lack of communication," Hartnett said.

The actor explained that understanding Jeremy’s perspective was essential to portraying him.

"I felt like I had to understand that and be on his side throughout the whole thing."

The question also earned an unexpected reaction from Hathaway, who praised Scrivens for revisiting an interview from 25 years earlier.

"I’m just so proud of you for a 25-year-old media pull," Hathaway said. "It was amazing."

Anne Hathaway’s unscripted moment in ‘Verity’

Hathaway’s portrayal of Verity Crawford is central to the film’s unsettling atmosphere.

But according to director Michael Showalter, one of the actress’s intriguing moments wasn’t scripted at all.

Early in the film, Verity participates in an interview with Gayle King, during which she makes a seemingly innocent remark: "It’s a miracle."

When asked whether the line was intended as foreshadowing, Showalter revealed that Hathaway improvised it.

"Anne Hathaway in those interview scenes is just in character as Verity," Showalter explained. "Those scenes weren’t scripted."

Instead, Hathaway was encouraged to react naturally while remaining in character.

For Showalter, the possibility of interpreting seemingly ordinary moments in multiple ways is part of the film’s appeal.

"There’s always double meaning. There’s always subconscious meaning. So who knows," he said.

Bringing ‘Verity’ from page to screen

Adapting a novel built around reading a mysterious manuscript presented a unique challenge for Showalter.

Much of the tension in Hoover’s book unfolds as Lowen reads Verity’s words and begins imagining the disturbing events described within them.

Showalter wanted audiences to experience that same psychological immersion rather than simply watch a character reading.

"When we read, our imaginations are turned on," Showalter explained.

He noted that reading is often considered difficult to portray cinematically, but he wanted to challenge that assumption.

"One of the challenges of this adaptation was to make reading feel active," he said.

The goal, he explained, was to make Lowen’s experience of reading the manuscript feel almost like an action sequence.

Hoover praised Showalter’s approach, admitting that the transition from page to screen had initially made her nervous.

"Michael did a phenomenal job of adapting this book and making it exactly what I hoped it would be," she said.

Does the ‘Verity’ movie live up to the book?

For me (Scrivens), the answer is yes.

Having first read Verity in 2020, I went into the screening with high expectations.

The novel has remained one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books, largely because of its ability to make readers question everything they think they know.

And while translating such a psychologically complex story to the screen is no easy task, I thought the film remained remarkably faithful to the spirit of its source material.

There are certainly differences. A handful of details and several characters from the novel didn’t make the transition to the big screen.

But those changes didn’t significantly diminish the story for me.

Instead, the adaptation felt like a carefully constructed interpretation of the book, preserving its suspense, uncomfortable questions and unsettling atmosphere.

Of the three Colleen Hoover book-to-film adaptations released so far, Verity is my personal favorite.

Hathaway, Johnson and Hartnett bring a compelling dynamic to a story that constantly challenges viewers to reconsider their assumptions.

And Showalter’s visual approach to the manuscript creates an experience that feels familiar to readers while giving moviegoers something uniquely cinematic.

Perhaps the most impressive part is that the film doesn’t lose the quality that made the novel so memorable: its ambiguity.

Because whether you’re experiencing Verity for the first time or revisiting a story you thought you understood, one question remains.

Who do you believe?

Verity is now playing in theaters.