Anne Hathaway takes charge at 'Verity' NYC premiere, directing photographers while showing baby bump

Anne Hathaway arrived at the New York City premiere of 'Verity' visibly pregnant, in a sequin-and-beading black mermaid gown with a long sheer cape by Prabal Gurung — and promptly took over the red carpet. Video from the event at AMC Lincoln Square 13 shows the 43-year-old calmly telling photographers exactly where she and her castmates would be looking and when, directing the group shot with the kind of quiet authority that tends to go viral.

The clip spread quickly across social media, drawing a wave of appreciation from fans who recognized the move as practical rather than diva-ish.

Anne saw the group photo drifting and took the wheel immediately.— Anonymous X user

She's like 'this dress and my ankles have a TIME LIMIT. let's make this EFFICIENT!!!— Anonymous Facebook commenter

It is not the first time Hathaway has been caught on camera managing a crowd. A video of her telling fans and paparazzi outside Valentino's fall 2022 show in Italy to 'calma' became an audio trend. She later reflected on that moment in a February 2024 interview with W Magazine.

I remember that particular time, we were coming out of the pandemic so we were all feeling a little fragile. Like I said, so many of my fans learned about me when they were children. So their excitement comes from a pure place. I want them to know, I'm excited too. I feel like, if we can be calm in meeting each other, we'll both be able to connect that much more significantly.— Anne Hathaway, actor

Hathaway is currently pregnant with her third child with husband Adam Shulman. The couple, who married in September 2012, already have two sons, Jonathan and Jack. She announced the pregnancy on Instagram in June and first showed her bump publicly at the world premiere of 'The Odyssey' in London in July, according to Fox News.

Joining Hathaway on the New York red carpet were co-stars Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. The New York event followed a UK gala screening that Hathaway did not attend — a notable absence explained, according to Lainey Gossip, by the fact that air travel is typically not recommended in the final weeks of pregnancy, and Hathaway is likely in that window given she announced more than three months ago.

'Verity,' directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Nick Antosca, is adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to ghostwrite for renowned author Verity Crawford (Hathaway), who uncovers disturbing autobiographical notes about Verity's husband Jeremy (Hartnett) and finds herself unable to separate fiction from reality, or attraction from manipulation. Amazon MGM Studios releases the psychological erotic thriller in theaters on October 2.

The supporting cast includes Ismael Cruz Córdova, Brady Wagner, Irina Dvorovenko, K.K. Moggie and Michael Abbott Jr. Producers include Nick Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Stacey Sher, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Anne Hathaway and Colleen Hoover, with Dakota Johnson among the executive producers.

'Verity' is the fifth feature film Hathaway has starred in this year, alongside 'The End of Oak Street,' 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' 'The Odyssey,' and 'Mother Mary.'

It's exciting, but it's not like I planned it this way. The five films are the proceeds of more than three years of work. It just so happens they are all out this year. Years ago, I would probably have been pretty stressed about that, but now I'm not. It's fun to be here talking about films that I am so proud of.— Anne Hathaway, actor

Hartnett also has the Netflix series 'Below,' releasing October 8, to promote alongside 'Verity,' according to Lainey Gossip. Dakota Johnson, meanwhile, received an additional wave of attention on premiere week after appearing in Taylor Swift's 'Patient Zero' music video, a connection Lainey Gossip noted could only benefit the film's visibility heading into its opening weekend.

Why it matters — With five films releasing in a single year and a third pregnancy underway, Hathaway's red carpet moment captures a broader story about how one of Hollywood's busiest current actors is navigating an unusually crowded professional and personal season.

Reported by foxnews.com, deadline.com, thecinemagroup.co, laineygossip.com