Hathaway Leans Into Minecraft 'Verity' Meme for Film Promo

Anne Hathaway echoed the viral Minecraft horror ARG 'Verity' in a promo clip for her unrelated Colleen Hoover thriller of the same name, delighting fans.

Comic Basics reports that Anne Hathaway shared a new promotional clip this week for her upcoming thriller 'Verity' in which she directly references the viral Minecraft horror phenomenon of the same name, echoing the character's now-famous catchphrase. Amazon MGM Studios amplified the bit with its own post reading, 'Hey, it's Verity. Only in theaters October 2.' The film, adapted from Colleen Hoover's psychological thriller novel, hits theaters on October 2 — and the internet has been having a field day for months over the coincidence of the shared title.

According to Comic Basics, the Minecraft 'Verity' phenomenon began as a horror web series and alternate reality game by YouTuber ThatMob, centered on a mod that adds a floating yellow smiley-faced assistant named Verity who helps players find resources before being revealed as something sinister. Momentum exploded after a fan song, 'It's Me, It's Verity' by Horror Skunx, racked up more than 14 million views in just over a month after its July release. Comic Basics notes that few marketing crossovers have landed so neatly, since the meme and the movie share an actual name rather than a loose trend tie-in.

Comic Basics frames the meme nod as an unexpected second wave of attention for a film that already carried heavy anticipation thanks to Hoover's built-in fanbase and Hathaway starring as Verity Crawford alongside Dakota Johnson, while also producing. Hathaway is juggling one of the busiest slates of her career — 'Mother Mary,' 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' 'The Odyssey' and 'The End of Oak Street' — and Comic Basics says the viral moment gives 'Verity' a built-in conversation starter heading into a crowded fall release calendar.

The big open question, as Comic Basics frames it, is whether audiences actually show up because of the meme — but the outlet argues the crossover has undeniably given the film extra visibility in its final weeks of promotion. Hathaway has become an internet fixture this year, Comic Basics observes, embracing online culture around her work while also announcing a third child and lining up future projects including 'Princess Diaries 3' and an adaptation of 'Yesteryear.' Whether or not it moves tickets, the studio clearly judged the joke worth making. Separately and unconnected, metro.co.uk reports that former MP Rory Stewart became the internet's newest meme after his rapid glare at a Newsnight panellist during an AI discussion spawned jokes and reaction GIFs.