Why Anne Hathaway fans are divided over her next role

Anne Hathaway has been cast in the film adaptation of a best-selling book by a controversial author, leaving her fanbase scratching their heads.

Anne Hathaway has been cast in the film adaptation of a best-selling book from the same author behind Blake Lively’s controversial movie It Ends With Us.

The US actress, 42, has been cast in the lead role in Verity, an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios feature based off the2018 bestsellerof the same name written by Colleen Hoover.

Deadline reported Hathaway is poised to star as rich and famous author Verity Crawford in the psychological thriller, which follows wannabe writer Lowen Ashleigh (yet to be cast), who takes a job ghostwriting for Crawford after she succumbs to a debilitating injury and is unable to finish her work.

But the cushy gig takes a sinister turn when, while living at Crawford’s home, Ashleigh finds a manuscript written by Crawford with a litany of chilling, seemingly non-fictitious, accounts.

Anne Hathaway has signed on to star in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2018 book ‘Verity’. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Blake Lively starred in Hoover’s most recent film adaptation of her book ‘It Ends With Us’, which was a PR disaster. Picture: Gotham/WireImage

Fans of Hathaway, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2013, are divided over her decision to star in a Hoover adaptation, after the controversy surrounding Lively’s It Ends With Us, which hit cinemas in August.

While it was a best-selling novel and ultimately a box office success, It Ends With Us had its fair share of detractors who believed Hoover romanticised abuse thanks to the ‘love story’ between protagonists Lily Bloom (Lively) and her abusive husband Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni).

This was further compounded by both Lively and Hoover’s fluffy promotion for the film, which at its core was an unsettling tale of domestic violence.

Suffice to say, Hathaway’s fans felt the actress was above starring in Hoover’s works.

Lively played Lily Bloom in the controversial movie.

“Watch them butcher this like they did with it ends with us,” one user wrote on X.

“I’m more concerned for Anne Hathaway wasting her talent on this kind of s**t,” another shared.

“anne hathaway is literally THEEE anne hathaway what is she doing, i excused the harry styles famfic (sic) but colleen hoover?” a third questioned, making reference to Hathaway’s frothy Amazon movie The Idea of You which hit the streamer earlier this year.

“ANNE RUN AND DONT LOOK BACK!!! DONT DO THIS MOVIE,” a fourth begged.

Others, however, applauded Hathaway’s casting, noting Verity was easily Hoover’s standout book.

“I just am excited to see this book come to life … the hold it has on me was CRAZY. I literally couldn’t do anything till I finished it,” one shared.

Hathaway fronted Prime Video’s ‘The Idea of You’ opposite British actor Nicholas Galitzine. Picture: Kena Betancur/AFP

“This is a dream pairing. Colleen Hoover’s gripping story brought to life by such a powerhouse actress is going to be incredible,” another wrote.

“I’m very much tuned in for anne hathaway in verity I’m so sorry #guilty,” a third added.

Hathaway will again team up with The Idea of You director Michael Showalter for the big screen adaptation, with the draft script written by Nick Antosca.

Sources told Deadline Verity will get a cinema release, which is unsurprising given the financial success of It Ends With Us.

Despite the drama, the film made a staggering $US346 million globally at the box office against a modest $US25 million budget.

Originally published as Why Anne Hathaway fans are divided over her next role