Director Michael Showalter says the steamy moment between Hathaway and Johnson was ad‑libbed, a move that even author Colleen Hoover grew to love.
The most talked‑about bit of the upcoming thriller Verity isn’t a plot twist – it’s a kiss that wasn’t in the script. Michael Showalter, who’s steering the adaptation, told Variety that he asked his two leads to “do something s---” when a hug between Anne Hathaway’s Verity and Dakota Johnson’s Lowen felt like it could go further. The result? An unscripted make‑out moment that now lives in the film’s trailer.
Showalter explained that the original book only hinted at a charged embrace. “In the novel she’s looking at a picture, talking about a man, then there’s an intimate hug,” he recalled. “It’s just a hug, but the characters are in a weird place and need that contact. Lowen’s turned on, so the energy could flip.” He let Hathaway and Johnson run with that idea, and they turned the hug into a full‑on kiss.
The director said the scene “really evolved” once the actors suggested the shift. “If you want to do that, yeah,” he laughed, recalling how Johnson allegedly said she’d just sit on Hathaway’s lap and start kissing. The spontaneity gave the moment a transgressive edge that Showalter felt the film needed.
Even the author of the source material, Colleen Hoover, admitted she was nervous about the addition. In an interview she confessed she didn’t know how the improvisation would land, because the book never described a kiss of that intensity. “I was relieved,” she later said, adding that the scene became one of her favourites.
For fans of the bestseller, the news adds a fresh layer of intrigue. Lowen, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin, is hired to finish a series for the enigmatic Verity Crawford. As she digs into the author’s secrets, the chemistry between Hathaway and Johnson now has a visual punch that the novel only hinted at.
Verity is slated to hit theatres on October 2, giving audiences a chance to see whether the improvised spark translates on the big screen. The trailer’s buzz suggests the kiss could become a talking point alongside the film’s mystery‑driven plot.
What the improv means for the film
Improvisation can be a double‑edged sword. When it works, it adds an organic feel that scripted moments sometimes lack. Showalter’s willingness to let his stars experiment shows confidence in their chemistry, and Hoover’s eventual approval hints that the addition respects the story’s tone. Critics will likely weigh the scene against the thriller’s darker themes, but early reactions on social media suggest the kiss has already become a meme‑ready highlight.
The release date is close, and marketing teams are already pushing the trailer’s steamy snippet. Whether the improvisation will boost box‑office numbers or simply fuel online chatter remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Verity’s promotional push now leans heavily on that unscripted kiss. As the October opening approaches, the industry will be watching to see if the gamble pays off.
The film lands in cinemas on October 2, and fans will soon find out if the improvised spark lights up the screen as much as it has the internet.
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