Let it never be said that Anne Hathaway is not a woman of her word.
The “Princess Diaries” star has had an exceedingly busy year, with no less than five different movies to promote during 2026.
She addressed her heightened visibility this year in a previous interview, promising that when she’s done promoting her final film of the year she would “vanish in a plume of smoke.”
A Vanishing Act
Now that that fifth film, “Verity,” is hitting theaters and her promotional obligations are completed, Hathaway took to Instagram on Friday, October 2 to share a video with her 45 million followers.
In the video, Hathaway can be seen seated, and speaks directly to the camera while rubbing her very pregnant belly.
“So we’re heading out to the ‘Verity’ premiere,” Hathaway says.
“Verity comes out in theaters Friday, October 2, and then on October 3 …“ she says before immediately vanishing, with a puff of smoke replacing her.
That’s followed by a woman entering the camera frame to ask, “Where the [expletive] is she?”
The video then cuts to a series of faux headlines reporting that Hathaway has disappeared, followed by a message from Hathaway to her various co-stars of 2026.
“Zendaya, Tom, Rob, Florence — bring it home!” Hathaway wrote. “Thank you everyone for your support, and for making this an incredible, unforgettable year,” Hathaway concluded.
‘You’re Not Gonna See Me’
To recap, during 2026 Hathaway starred in “Mother Mary” (released in April), “The Devil Wears Prada 2” (May), “The Odyssey” (July), “The End of Oak Street” (August) and the just-released “Verity.”
The nod to going up in smoke was referring to a remark she made when interviewed about “Verity” for “Entertainment Tonight.”
“The movie comes out on October 2, and October 3, I’m going to vanish in a plume of smoke, and you’re not gonna see me until you have to,” said Hathaway, whose baby is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
“I’m definitely gonna disappear and take some time off,” she said, a promise she hilariously kept.
‘Gonna Surf This Wave
Previously, Hathaway has addressed her unusually busy promo-tour schedule for 2026.
Having five movies release in a single year is a rare achievement, and it’s not something that she’s taken lightly.
“I’m excited. This is very, very fun. It’s extremely surreal,” she told People of being in such high demand at this particular point in her life.
“But I’m at an age and a moment in my career where I know stuff like this doesn’t come around very often, and certainly doesn’t last forever,” the 43-year-old actress observed, obliquely referencing how the duration of a female actor as leading lady tends to last significantly less than that of their male counterparts in Hollywood.
Her attitude is to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
“So I’m just gonna surf this wave for as long as it lasts, I’m going to enjoy being on my board, and then when I fall in the water — that’ll be that moment,” she added.
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Anne Hathaway Hilariously Fulfils Promise to ‘Vanish in a Plume of Smoke’ After Promoting Fifth Film of the Year