The Colleen Hoover Cinematic Universe Is Coming—Ready or Not
Hollywood's obsession with book adaptations isn't new, but the sudden flood of Colleen Hoover adaptations feels like a studio exec discovered emotional trauma sells. And hey—they're not wrong. Verity, the twisted psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway, now has a confirmed release date: May 15, 2026. But here's the real question: With Regretting You and Reminders of Him also in the pipeline, will Verity be the crown jewel… or just another melodramatic tearjerker lost in the shuffle?
The Verity Breakdown: What We Know
- Plot: A struggling writer (Lowen Ashleigh) uncovers a dark manuscript while finishing a series for a bestselling author's injured wife (Verity Crawford). Secrets? Betrayal? Psychological warfare? Check, check, and oh hell yes.
- Cast: Anne Hathaway as Verity, Dakota Johnson as Lowen, Josh Hartnett as Jeremy Crawford. That's Oscar bait meets erotic thriller energy.
- Release: May 15, 2026—mark your calendars or, more likely, set a reminder for when the trailer inevitably breaks the internet.
But here's the kicker: Verity isn't the only Hoover book getting the Hollywood treatment.
The Competition: Regretting You & Reminders of Him
- Regretting You (dir. Josh Boone)
- Premise: A family shattered by a fatal car crash. Grief porn? Maybe. But with Mckenna Grace and Allison Williams leading, expect The Fault in Our Stars meets This Is Us levels of devastation.
- Director's Take: Josh Boone called it “a classic mothers and daughters will cherish.” Translation: Stock up on tissues.
- Reminders of Him
- Premise: A redemption story about a young mother seeking forgiveness. Universal's synopsis calls it “transformative.” AKA, it'll either be profound or painfully cliché.
The Real Challenge: Avoiding “BookTok Hype, Box Office Flop” Syndrome
Let's be real—Hoover's books dominate BookTok, but cinematic adaptations are a different beast. Remember After? Exactly. The danger here isn't just faithfulness to the source material—it's elevating it beyond the usual tropes.
- Will Verity lean into its thriller roots or soften into a romance with a dark twist?
- Can Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway bring the same intensity as the book's unreliable narrators?
- And most importantly—will audiences buy into Hoover's signature brand of emotional whiplash on the big screen?
Final Verdict: High Stakes, Higher Expectations
Verity has the cast, the fanbase, and the shock factor to be a hit. But with two other Hoover adaptations vying for attention, 2026 could either be her Hunger Games moment… or proof that not every bestseller needs a film.
One thing's certain: If Hathaway doesn't deliver a “holy sh-t” monologue from that manuscript, we riot.
Team Verity or Team Regretting You? Which adaptation are you betting on? Sound off in the comments.
