Anne Hathaway scares Josh Hartnett with surprise 'Verity' set prank

Anne Hathaway pranked Josh Hartnett on the 'Verity' set, giving him an unexpected scare before the film's release

Anne Hathaway gave her Verity co-star Josh Hartnett an unexpected scare while filming the upcoming thriller, with Hartnett describing the prank as his most frightening moment in years.

Hathaway and Hartnett star alongside Dakota Johnson in Verity, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Directed by Michael Showalter, the movie follows writer Lowen Ashleigh, played by Johnson, who is hired to complete the work of acclaimed author Verity Crawford, portrayed by Hathaway.

Hartnett plays Jeremy Crawford, Verity’s husband. During an interview with IMDb, the cast discussed uncomfortable moments from filming, and Hartnett recalled an incident involving Hathaway that happened while he was rehearsing a scene with Johnson.

According to Hartnett, Hathaway was not originally expected to be on set that day. While he was walking down a hallway after filming a kitchen scene, Hathaway hid around a corner and suddenly hissed at him.

“She hissed at me,” Hartnett recalled, describing it as the most terrifying moment he had experienced in the previous decade.

Hathaway later explained that she had found a small alcove where she could hide without being seen by Hartnett. She decided against screaming because she wanted the prank to be a private scare for her co-star.

Hartnett said Hathaway’s decision to make the hiss quieter made the prank even more frightening. Hathaway also recalled his immediate reaction, saying he appeared startled before realising she was responsible.

Verity follows Lowen as she moves to the isolated Crawford estate and discovers disturbing autobiographical writings that raise questions about Verity, Jeremy and the events surrounding their family.

The film, directed by Michael Showalter, stars Hathaway, Hartnett and Johnson and is scheduled to arrive in theatres on October 2.