Dakota Johnson has a glowing review of kissing Anne Hathaway. And honestly, we understand.
“Kissing Annie is the best thing in the world,” Johnson told Gayety. “I highly recommend it.”
“Right back at you,” Hathaway replied.
The two joined co-star Josh Hartnett to talk about their upcoming psychological thriller Verity, and naturally, we had to start with that kiss in the trailer. With more than 15 million views on YouTube, the trailer has plenty of people talking. Around here, we were especially interested in what its two leading women were up to.
Johnson confirmed the kiss isn’t in Colleen Hoover’s book, but she and Hathaway felt it made sense for Lowen, who’s getting a little too caught up in Verity’s life. Plus, it’s Anne Hathaway. Who wouldn’t want to kiss her, even if she looks like she might eat you alive? For some of us, that’s part of the appeal.
“I understand why people are excited about it,” Johnson teased. “Also, it was so fun.”
Directed by Michael Showalter, Verity stars Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to finish bestselling author Verity Crawford’s books. She moves into the Crawford estate, where Verity, played by Hathaway, lives with her husband, Jeremy, played by Hartnett. It sounds like a dream writing gig until Lowen discovers Verity’s disturbing autobiographical notes and starts getting closer to Jeremy. Suddenly, finishing those books is the least of her problems.
Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill
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It’s All About Obsession
Lowen wants what Verity has, but her feelings about Verity herself make things even messier. For Hathaway, that’s what made the kiss an interesting addition.
“I just thought that it was just cool from Lowen’s perspective, the idea that she’s kind of obsessed with this whole situation,” Hathaway said. “Obsessed with Jeremy, obsessed with Verity, wants to be Verity, but is clearly also struggling with that.”
So yes, Jeremy has her attention. But so does his wife.
Johnson described the kiss as a glimpse into Lowen’s “inner landscape,” calling her fixation on the Crawfords “a very, very toxic obsession.” She wants to be part of their life, take it over and have Verity’s success for herself. She also wants to tear it all apart.
“So I think it was the perfect little second of a clue for people,” Johnson said.
That’s a lot to put into one kiss. Luckily, these two came prepared.
Photo credit: Alisha Wetherill
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Straying From the Book
Showalter saw that same mix of desire and unease in the scene. Speaking to us alongside Hoover, he said the actors were on the same page about what made it feel “sexy and transgressive.”
“I think it’s a psychological moment, but it’s also sexy, but it’s also scary and it’s also very stylized,” Showalter said. “And I think that in a way that’s what this movie is.”
As for whether he expected the response to the trailer? Apparently, we were delivering news.
“Very excited that it’s in the movie, didn’t know it was going to break the internet,” he said.
Hoover pointed out that Lowen’s feelings are shaped by two different versions of Verity: the woman she sees in the house and the woman she thinks she knows from the manuscript.
“It’s like she has this relationship with her manuscript that Verity wrote, and then she has the version of Verity that she sees in the house every day, and then it slowly starts to make her question her own reality and thoughts and things that she’s seeing,” Hoover said.
Without the manuscript, Hoover wondered, would Lowen have simply admired Verity’s work and respected her marriage? Reading it changes everything.
“Yeah, I think opening that manuscript really changed that relationship that she had with the idea of Verity,” she continued.
Kisses, Corn Syrup and a Little Chaos
And if you’re wondering what goes into a bloody makeout session, we have the answers. Johnson initially described the substance as a simple syrup before joking that it was human blood. Hathaway was quick to intervene.
“Dakota, I’m trying to get that rumor to stop about me, please,” the Mother Mary actress joked. We need more details on this…
The cast settled on corn syrup with dye, which is a little less concerning, though probably not anyone’s first choice for something to have in their mouth during a kiss.
“Really good for you,” Johnson deadpanned.
Josh Hartnett Is Staying on Jeremy’s Side
Then there’s Hartnett, whose Jeremy can be charming enough to make you forget you have no idea who to trust in this film.
Asked how he balances being appealing and unsettling, Hartnett said he focused on understanding Jeremy, while Showalter’s filmmaking and the edit helped keep viewers guessing.
“The way that I was playing it, I was trying to be on his side the whole time,” Hartnett said.
He described the unease in his previous Trap performance as more intentional. Here, it was “more kind of circumstantial.”
Of course, taking his shirt off might also make it harder for viewers to think clearly. When we suggested that as a backup plan, Hartnett was happy to play along.
“That’s usually my go-to in any situation,” he joked.
Fair enough. Between him and Hathaway and Johnson’s kiss, we may need a second viewing just to focus on the clues.
See Verity when it opens in theaters Oct. 2 and watch the rest of our interviews below!