Highlights
- Dakota Johnson opened up about filming intimate scenes with Anne Hathaway for Verity.
- Johnson said: “I would kiss Annie for the rest of my life. Every day.”
- The actors improvised one of the film’s intimate scenes with director Michael Showalter.
- Josh Hartnett described the cast’s chemistry as coming from “mutual respect and understanding”.
Dakota Johnson has opened up about filming intimate scenes with Anne Hathaway in Verity, the upcoming adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is hired to complete the final book in the series of injured author Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway.
Dakota Johnson on kissing Anne Hathaway
Johnson spoke enthusiastically about her on-screen chemistry with Hathaway, telling Extra TV: “I would kiss Annie for the rest of my life. Every day. If you need me, I’m there.” The actor also discussed their intimate scenes in an interview with Out magazine, joking about the experience and describing the scenes as “very technical” but “incredibly enjoyable”.
Johnson explained that she spent several hours filming intimate scenes with both Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, who plays Jeremy Crawford. She described the process as highly choreographed, but said she enjoyed working with both actors.
Hartnett also spoke about the scenes, saying the cast had “great chemistry as friends on set”. He added that the intimate scenes could feel “a little bit goofy” when the cameras were not rolling, but said the chemistry in the finished film came from “mutual respect and understanding”.
The steamy scene was improvised
Director Michael Showalter revealed that Johnson and Hathaway improvised one of the film’s intimate moments. The scene was originally based on a moment in Hoover’s novel where Lowen and Jeremy share a hug, but Showalter felt there was an opportunity to introduce more sexual tension.
The sequence eventually developed into a more unexpected encounter involving Hathaway’s character. Showalter said the idea emerged during discussions with the actors about how the scene could evolve, with Johnson and Hathaway helping shape the moment.
Anne Hathaway had to get the headboard bite right
Another memorable detail from Hoover’s novel was recreated for the film when Hathaway’s character bites a headboard. Hathaway told E! News: “I never thought I’d bite a headboard on camera in my life. But that was just Tuesday.”
The scene required several rehearsals and tests before filming. Hathaway explained that the production could make changes to certain details of Verity’s appearance, but the headboard bite was too distinctive to get wrong.
She later recalled laughing while working out how to make the unusual moment look convincing on camera.
Verity will leave audiences debating
The film is also expected to leave audiences with an ambiguous ending. Hartnett said it was unusual for a major studio film to deliberately leave room for viewers to debate what they had seen.
He said he hoped audiences would be able to “argue about something that’s as fun as this” after watching the film.
Based on Hoover’s 2018 novel, Verity follows Lowen as she moves into the Crawford family home to ghostwrite Verity’s unfinished book series. Her stay takes a darker turn when she discovers a disturbing manuscript that makes her question what really happened to Verity and her family.
