Verity, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's popular novel, is set to hit theaters on September 30. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film features Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. In the story, Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who becomes the ghostwriter for Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), a once-successful author who can no longer write after a mysterious accident. Lowen moves into Verity's remote home to review her notes and complete her book series, but she uncovers a disturbing manuscript that reveals dark confessions about Verity's relationships, her children, and the turmoil within her family. The film keeps the central plot of the novel, which revolves around the tension between truth and fiction, but several key elements have been altered for the cinema. One major change is the simplification of the family structure. In the novel, Verity and her husband, Jeremy, have three children: twins Harper and Chastin, and their youngest son Crew. Chastin dies from a peanut allergy during a sleepover, and Harper later dies in a canoe accident. Crew, the only surviving child at the start of the story, is the focus of the narrative. In the film, the twins are removed, and Crew becomes the twin brother of Harper. This change streamlines the plot and shifts the focus of the story around Verity and Jeremy. In the novel, Harper is depicted as having developmental challenges, and Verity suggests she may have Asperger's syndrome. This detail is absent in the film. Colleen Hoover, the author, discussed this change in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, acknowledging that Showalter's adjustments, such as reducing the number of children, helped simplify the story and save time by omitting the backstory of Chastin. Another notable change is the removal of a particularly graphic scene in which Verity attempts to induce an abortion using a hanger. In the novel, Verity, pregnant with the twins, becomes resentful and tries to end her pregnancy, believing Jeremy will favor the children over her. This scene is part of the darkest passages in the manuscript Lowen discovers. The film omits this sequence, avoiding one of the most intense and disturbing moments from the book. Despite these changes, director Michael Showalter aimed to preserve the novel's core theme: the difficulty of determining who is telling the truth. He explains, "We have three different versions of the story—Lowen's, Verity's, and Jeremy's—whose narratives and perceptions can contradict each other." Showalter also notes that he avoided taking sides, saying, "I found myself not taking sides. I wanted to respect the reality of each character and not guide the audience in one direction or another." Colleen Hoover reflects on how seeing the film allowed her to view certain characters in a new light. She notes that the film does not explicitly label a character as good or bad, but her understanding of them has evolved through the adaptation. She finds it intriguing to observe the varied public interpretations of the true story. While the film modifies certain plot points, it retains the central idea of the book, offering surprises even for those familiar with the original novel.