Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson helped director Michael Showalter turn a moment in Verity into something more intimate than he had originally planned. Their suggestion changed a scene involving Lowen Ashleigh and Jeremy Crawford, adding an encounter with Verity herself that was not in Colleen Hoover’s novel.

The detail comes from Showalter’s September 23 interview, ahead of the film’s October 2 theatrical release. With the adaptation now in theaters, it gives readers of the book a specific change to look for without revealing the mystery’s ending.

How did the scene change?

Showalter described starting with an embrace between Lowen, played by Johnson, and Jeremy, played by Josh Hartnett. He saw an opportunity to make their attraction more overt. Hathaway and Johnson then suggested that the encounter shift from Jeremy to Verity.

The resulting kiss between the two women appears in the trailer. It was a choice developed during the making of the film, rather than a scene transferred directly from the book.

Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh sits among papers beside a sofa in Verity.
Lowen is hired to work on Verity Crawford’s unfinished books.
CreditsAmazon MGM Studios

Hoover was initially nervous about the addition because she did not know how it would fit. After seeing it, she said:

“It ended up being one of my favorite scenes.” — Colleen Hoover

Her reaction concerns this particular addition. It does not mean the adaptation follows every scene in the novel, or that viewers have to agree with the change. Fans can compare the movie’s version with the quieter embrace Showalter described from the book.

Lowen’s attraction makes the job more complicated

Johnson’s Lowen is a struggling writer hired to finish a successful series for Verity Crawford. Hathaway plays the injured novelist, while Hartnett plays her husband Jeremy. Lowen moves into the family’s remote estate to work through Verity’s material.

There, she finds autobiographical notes containing disturbing claims about the Crawford family. She has to decide what to believe while becoming attracted to Jeremy. The added scene takes that attraction beyond a conversation and makes Lowen’s interest in both Crawfords visible.

Dakota Johnson as Lowen reads a Verity Crawford novel in Verity.
Dakota Johnson plays the writer who discovers the Crawford family’s secrets.
CreditsAmazon MGM Studios

Showalter also discussed his interest in psychological and erotic thrillers during an October 1 interview with Hoover. For this adaptation, the relationships at the house are part of the suspense: Lowen is being paid to investigate another writer’s work while getting personally involved with the family.

Verity is in theaters now

Amazon MGM Studios released Verity in theaters on October 2. Showalter directs, with a screenplay credited to Nick Antosca and Colleen Hoover. The announced cast also includes Brady Wagner as Crew Crawford, Asel Swango as Frida and Daniel Echevarria as Alex.

Our Verity cast and story guide covers the premise without explaining the ending. A streaming release date has not been announced.