Make it a Movie: Verity by Colleen Hoover

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. Verity by Colleen Hoover, is a page-turning thriller that played out much like a movie.

What makes Verity a great book, is the same reason it’ll work well as a movie. It has you at the edge of your seat, questioning everything. The movie would have two timelines, much like the book, pre-Verity injuries and post-Verity injuries. The movie would likely be even more mysterious/vague with the autobiography timeline only adding more questions. I really hope they make this, as it has the potential to be a Gone Girl type movie if made correctly.

Verity wasn’t a book we read for our illustrious podcast but it is one we would highly recommend. We’re currently reading The Silent Patient right now which is in a similar vain, so pick that up and catch us on the next podcast!

Plot: A struggling writer, Lowen Ashleigh, meets Jeremy Crawford, aka the perfect man. He’s smart, charming, and good looking.  Not only does he posses great qualities, but he also helps solve all of Lowen’s writing and financial issues. Too good to be true, right? Well, yeah, otherwise it wouldn’t be much of a book. Unfortunately his wife, famous author Verity Crawford, is currently brain dead and living in his house, and two of his three children have passed away. When Lowen discovers Verity’s autobiography, things get even more tense, dark, and sexual.  

Production Notes: Not a ton of updates on the production of this one, but as of two years ago now Colleen Hover said, “I also sold film rights for Verity to Amazon Studios. But, just selling film rights doesn’t mean a film will be made, so I have my fingers crossed, but that’s really all I can do!” We’ll be crossing our fingers as well, in the meantime we’ll help give Amazon Studios some ideas for the movies casting.

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Logline: Gone Girl + Nocturnal Animals

Proposed Casting for Verity by Colleen Hoover

Lowen Ashleigh – The protagonist of the book, we see everything through Lowen’s eyes. The book does a great job making you question her motives/psychological state, and I think this will be key in building tension/having you questioning everything in the movie. Although Lowen is a shy, reserved writer, by the end of the book it is apparent she is much, much more. I picture her starting to dress like and act more and more like Verity by the end of the movie (in order to win over Jeremy), and as a viewer this makes you start to question her character. Natalie Portman is an actress that could definitely pull off Lowen’s character. First off, she was in the Star Wars prequels, so she already has a special place in my heart, but she has proven to have a ton of range, and would have no issue going through the transformation Lowen has in the book. In many ways she’s already played this same type of character in Black Swan.

Jeremy Crawford – Jeremy is a little too perfect. This is how we described him in our book club questions: Tall, muscular, attractive guy, who also happens to be a caring and supportive spouse, a great dad, and phenomenal lover (with an iron stomach). Am I a little bit envious of him? Yes, yes I am. Let’s stick with another talented Star Wars actor in Adam Driver. He can play the strong sensitive type but also someone with a darkness behind the eyes, which is exactly what we need for this role to build the questions around his character.

Verity Crawford – We only really get to know Verity’s character through her autobiography and obviously if you read the book there are questions about it’s validity or purpose. I’m in the camp believing that everything from the autobiography is true and that would make Verity’s character a bit sociopathic and delusional, but a great writer nonetheless. The perfect casting would be Rosamund Pike, just running back her Gone Girl role, that she absolutely crushed. We could also argue that Amber Heard would fit the bill… but she may not actually be acting. We’ll go with Evan Rachel Wood who I think is a really underrated actress and I believe would crush this role. 

Those are really the three main characters. Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or Check out our book club Podcast or Verity Book Club Questions.