The popular romance novel The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is finally coming to the screen. The film adaptation stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman in the lead roles. Production wrapped up last year, and the movie is scheduled for release in 2026. Directed by Claire Scanlon, known for Set It Up, the movie brings the fake dating story of a biology PhD candidate and a hotshot professor to life on Prime Video.
The Story Started as Star Wars Fan Fiction
Before becoming a New York Times bestseller, The Love Hypothesis began as a “Reylo” fan fiction. Author Ali Hazelwood, a neuroscience professor, first posted the story online under the title Head Over Feet. The original work featured characters inspired by Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
When Hazelwood decided to publish the book in 2021, she removed the Star Wars references. She renamed the characters Olive (a nod to Daisy Ridley) and Adam (a nod to Adam Driver). The book spent 10 months on the New York Times bestseller list and has been sold in 40 countries. The official logline for the book reads:
“When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.”
Lili Reinhart Plays Olive Smith
Lili Reinhart, famous for playing Betty Cooper on Riverdale, takes on the lead role of Olive Smith. She also serves as an executive producer on the project. Olive is a third-year PhD candidate in biology at Stanford University. She is skeptical about love and enters into a fake relationship with a professor to prove a point to her best friend.
Hazelwood shared her excitement when Reinhart joined the cast.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe this is happening. Elizabeth Cantillon, Claire Scanlon, and Lili Reinhart have all created, produced, or starred in works that I’m absolutely feral about, and I am beyond honored that they’re choosing to bring their talent to this project.”
The author added that she has complete trust in the team and hopes they have as much fun filming as she had writing the book.
Tom Bateman Is Dr. Adam Carlsen
Tom Bateman plays Dr. Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor known for being strict and intimidating. In a fun twist, Bateman is married to Daisy Ridley, the actress who originally inspired Olive’s character in the fan fiction version.
Amazon MGM Studios announced the casting on social media.
“Hypothesis: Tom Bateman is the perfect Adam Carlsen.”
Bateman is known for playing Bouc, Hercule Poirot’s friend, in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.
The Supporting Cast and Their Characters
Several other actors have joined the production in key supporting roles.
Rachel Marsh plays Anh, Olive’s best friend. In the book, Anh is the one who pushes Olive into the fake relationship with Adam. Marsh is a Filipino-American actress known for the Netflix comedy Unstable.
Jaboukie Young-White plays Malcolm, Olive’s roommate. The character is inspired by Finn, played by John Boyega in Star Wars. Jaboukie is known for his work on The Daily Show and his recurring role on Abbott Elementary.
Nicholas Duvernay plays Jeremy Langley, Olive’s ex-boyfriend. This character is the version of General Hux from the Star Wars films. Duvernay recently appeared in The White Lotus Season 3 as Zion Lindsey.
Arty Froushan plays Dr. Tom Benton, one of Adam’s trusted friends who becomes a problem for Olive later in the story. Froushan appears in Daredevil: Born Again as Buck Cashman.
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Production Details and Release Information
Principal photography took place in Montreal, Canada, during July and August 2025. Claire Scanlon directs from a script by Sarah Rothschild. Elizabeth Cantillon produces for Amazon MGM Studios and MRC.
The movie is set at Stanford University in the book, with some scenes also taking place in Boston. Reports suggest that The Love Hypothesis may premiere on Prime Video on June 10, but the studio has not officially confirmed this date.
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