Colleen Hoover’s Verity just got a first look at CinemaCon 2026, and the story looks to be far darker than audiences may be expecting.

Based on Hoover’s bestselling novel, Verity follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh [Dakota Johnson], who is hired to complete a book series by famed author Verity Crawford [Anne Hathaway] after a mysterious accident leaves her unable to write. However, as Lowen digs deeper into Verity’s life and grows closer to her husband Jeremy [Josh Hartnett], she uncovers unsettling secrets that suggest nothing is quite what it seems.

The trailer, released during Amazon’s CinemaCon panel on Wednesday, sees Lowen arrive at the Crawford home, where she is immediately confronted with Verity’s condition, finding the once-celebrated author paralyzed. But things quickly feel off. When Lowen questions Jeremy about what’s really going on, he avoids answering, only deepening the mystery. As Lowen listens to Verity’s autobiography, the footage flashes back to her intense and passionate relationship with Jeremy, hinting at a complicated past beneath the surface.

Strange details begin to pile up, including an unsettling figure lingering outside the house, before the tension escalates in a major way.

In one of the trailer’s most shocking moments, Verity suddenly turns her head, revealing she may not be as immobile as she appears. The reveal is followed by an even more disturbing interaction, as Lowen speaks with Verity’s child, who casually suggests their mother still communicates with them. The situation spirals further when Verity physically attacks Lowen, biting her and drawing blood — a moment that kicks off a rapid montage of chaos, paranoia, and psychological unraveling. The trailer ends on a chilling note, with Lowen declaring to Verity, “I’m going to take it from you. All of it.”

Early footage shown at CinemaCon 2025 hinted at the film’s psychological edge, introducing the central relationships while teasing darker, more sinister elements. The teaser included eerie dreamlike imagery of Hathaway’s character and a cryptic final moment involving Lowen and a police officer, suggesting the story’s tension will go far beyond a typical romance.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight last month, Hoover revealed that she has seen an early cut of Verity, and it’s one she’s excited for audiences to get their hands on. “This is going to be a big year,” she said, touting Reminders of Him‘s release and Verity in October. “I’m so, so thrilled for readers to see that one.”

When asked if people would be surprised by the upcoming fall release, Hoover simply said, “Yeah,” but didn’t reveal what those surprises were, keeping the mystery alive for audiences and signaling that there could be changes from the source material when the eerie thriller hits theaters.

Verity is due out October 2, 2026.