Dakota Johnson is no new comer to making headlines with her set photos. However, it was a snapshot of the behind-the-scenes for Verity that had left the onlookers more surprised than ever.

Colleen Hoover's book Verity is everything that a thriller-romance requires it to be. In cue, a few leaked pictures of Dakota Johnson bathed in blood in its adaptation got the audience storming up the movie's possibilities.

"People love Colleen Hoover and people love Dakota, and people love blood,” director Michael Showalter told PEOPLE at the premiere of Oh. What. Fun. He revealed that despite his shock at the virality, he knew he got the ingredients just right.

Speaking to PEOPLE, his reaction to the audience's shock was merely excitement. As per him, these three components brewed up the perfect storm ahead of the film's release on May 15, 2026.

While perfect for cooking up havoc online, Dakota Johnson is not the only constituent of Verity's flavor.

Verity's more than palatable cast

On a closer look, Dakota Johnson's blood-garnished set photo unveils Josh Hartnett on the sets as well. While Johnson plays the starving writer as Lowen Ashleigh, Hartnett dons a dutiful husband as Jeremy Crawford.

Wife to Jeremy, a bestselling author and the whirlpool's crux, Verity Crawford, is played by Anne Hathaway. Verity's cast is then rounded up by Ismael Cruz Córdova, Brady Wagner, and Irina Dvorovenko, amongst others.

Even with a cast that blends right in to cook up a hurricane of shock, Verity keeps her element of surprise. With a few more months to release, several more storms are yet to be brewed.

What do you think of Dakota Johnson's shocking set photo from Verity? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui