The Love Hypothesis: 5 Reveals From Lili Reinhart

The Love Hypothesis has finally moved from bestselling romance novel to the screen, with Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman leading the highly anticipated Prime Video adaptation.

Based on Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 novel, the romantic comedy follows Olive Smith, a Stanford Ph.D. candidate who agrees to fake a relationship with professor Adam Carlsen. What begins as a convenient arrangement gradually becomes complicated when the two discover that their supposed romance may be turning into something real.

For Reinhart and Bateman, bringing the story to life meant navigating an enormous existing fan base, expectations surrounding beloved characters and some particularly demanding scenes.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the two actors discussed everything from their unexpected connection to the source material to their viral social-media videos and the challenges of filming the movie’s intimate scenes. EELLE

Here are five of the biggest revelations surrounding The Love Hypothesis.

1. The Love Hypothesis Had a Surprising Connection to Star Wars

One of the most unusual details behind The Love Hypothesis involves the origins of Ali Hazelwood’s story.

Before becoming a bestselling romance author, Hazelwood was part of the fanfiction community surrounding the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Hazelwood originally wrote a Reylo-inspired story before developing it into the novel that eventually became The Love Hypothesis.

That connection became particularly intriguing once Tom Bateman was cast as Adam Carlsen.

Bateman is married to Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in the Star Wars films.

The connection was almost too perfect for fans to ignore.

Yet both Reinhart and Bateman have emphasized that the casting was not the result of some elaborate plan.

According to The Hollywood Reporter interview, Bateman only learned about the connection after director Claire Scanlon explained that there was a link between his role and his wife. Bateman subsequently told Ridley about the book, and she apparently did not know much about the fanfiction history either. EELLE

The coincidence quickly became a major talking point among fans after Bateman’s casting was announced.

For Reinhart, however, the situation was simply an example of what she and Bateman called “Hollywood serendipity.”

The actor’s connection to Ridley was accidental rather than something deliberately engineered around the book’s fandom history.

2. Lili Reinhart Helped Choose Tom Bateman

Reinhart was not simply cast as Olive Smith and handed a finished production.

She joined The Love Hypothesis as both a star and executive producer, giving her a role in the casting process.

That became especially important when the production began searching for the actor who would play Adam.

The character is central to the story. Adam needs to be intimidating enough to support his nickname, “Dr. Evil,” while also revealing the vulnerability underneath his reputation.

Reinhart told The Hollywood Reporter that finding the right actor was nerve-racking because she wanted someone who could elevate the production while playing opposite a female lead. EELLE

Several actors were considered during chemistry reads.

Bateman eventually stood out.

Reinhart already knew that he was a strong actor. But their chemistry during the audition helped convince her that he could embody Adam.

The casting also produced an unexpected real-life connection because of Bateman’s marriage to Ridley.

That coincidence became part of the film’s publicity, but Reinhart has stressed that the filmmakers did not initially know how perfectly Bateman’s personal history would intersect with the novel’s origins.

3. The Chemistry Extended Beyond the Screen

The relationship between Olive and Adam depends heavily on chemistry.

That meant Reinhart and Bateman needed to establish trust quickly.

Production took place over approximately eight weeks in Montreal. According to their Hollywood Reporter conversation, the actors spent their first week getting to know each other and discussing their characters and relationship. EELLE

Reinhart even brought cakes for herself, Bateman and director Claire Scanlon as they talked through the characters.

Those conversations helped establish the emotional foundation for the film.

Bateman described Adam and Olive’s relationship as having similarities to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Both characters initially appear misunderstood, while their relationship gradually reveals that there is much more beneath the surface.

That dynamic is central to the appeal of the story.

Adam is not simply the stereotypical difficult professor. His reputation shapes how other people see him, and Olive is gradually able to look beyond that reputation.

Bateman said the character’s guarded personality could be understood as the result of vulnerability being met with judgment or mockery earlier in his life. EELLE

That interpretation gave the character greater emotional depth.

Reinhart, meanwhile, described Bateman as almost the opposite of Adam in real life.

While Adam is supposed to appear intimidating and difficult, Reinhart said Bateman was one of her favorite scene partners and consistently brought a positive attitude to the set.

That contrast apparently made their working relationship easier.

4. Their Viral TikToks Became a Story of Their Own

The movie’s marketing campaign also became part of the The Love Hypothesis phenomenon.

Reinhart and Bateman appeared together in social-media videos that quickly attracted huge attention from fans.

One of the most memorable videos involved Bateman physically scooping Reinhart up.

The apparently simple clip required more preparation than viewers might have expected.

Bateman joked that the pair sometimes did more takes for their TikToks than they did for scenes in the movie.

Reinhart was already familiar with social-media culture and knew what she wanted from the videos. Bateman, meanwhile, was less experienced with TikTok and had to learn the rhythms of creating content specifically for that audience. EELLE

The response was immediate.

Bateman recalled receiving a flood of messages after one of the videos appeared online. Even members of his family were suddenly seeing him repeatedly across their social-media feeds.

The marketing approach was particularly effective because it allowed fans to see Reinhart and Bateman interacting outside the fictional world of Olive and Adam.

Their apparent comfort with one another became part of the film’s appeal.

It also helped generate anticipation among readers who had already spent years imagining the characters.

5. The Love Hypothesis Intimate Scene Required Trust

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the production involved one of the film’s intimate scenes.

The hotel-room sequence is significant because the corresponding section of the novel is particularly important to fans.

That created additional pressure for the actors.

Reinhart explained that the scene was among the most demanding intimate sequences she had filmed, while also emphasizing that it was not intended to become an excessively explicit sequence disconnected from the rest of the movie. EELLE

The actors worked with intimacy coordinator Jen Viens.

Bateman explained that intimacy coordinators do more than provide physical safeguards. They can also create a structured environment in which actors discuss the emotional and physical details of a scene.

That approach helped Reinhart and Bateman treat the sequence similarly to other complicated scenes, with choreography, communication and preparation.

Reinhart also emphasized the importance of trust.

She described Bateman as a particularly comfortable scene partner and said their professional boundaries were respected throughout the production.

That trust was important because filming intimate material can require actors to separate the demands of a fictional scene from their personal lives.

The scene reportedly took hours to film, making preparation and communication particularly important.

The Love Hypothesis Had Huge Expectations to Meet

Adapting a bestselling romance novel always creates a difficult balance.

Fans want to see the story they remember, but filmmakers also need to create a movie that works for audiences who have never read the book.

That challenge was especially relevant for The Love Hypothesis.

Hazelwood’s novel developed a large following after its publication, and readers already had strong ideas about Olive and Adam.

Reinhart was familiar with that pressure from her years on Riverdale, where she played Betty Cooper.

She understood what it means to portray a character that audiences have already formed strong opinions about.

The pressure did not disappear with The Love Hypothesis.

Instead, it changed form.

Readers were no longer comparing Reinhart with an earlier screen performance. They were comparing the film with the version of Olive that existed in their imagination.

That made the casting process particularly important.

The production also had to preserve the central elements of Hazelwood’s story while compressing a lengthy novel into a feature-length film.

Bateman praised the adaptation’s ability to condense the story while retaining what he considered its essential DNA. EELLE

For him, the novel provided an additional resource during filming.

Whenever he needed to understand Adam’s emotional state, he could return to Hazelwood’s original characterization.

Lili Reinhart Says Olive Was Very Different From Her

Interestingly, Reinhart has also acknowledged that she does not have much in common with Olive’s academic background.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Reinhart said she felt honored to play Olive despite feeling that she could hardly relate to the character’s scientific and academic life. PPeople.com

Olive is a brilliant biology researcher pursuing a Ph.D.

Reinhart, meanwhile, did not attend college and has described herself as someone who struggled with science.

That difference became part of what interested her.

She saw value in portraying a character who represents women working in science and academia.

While the central story is a romance, The Love Hypothesis also places women in STEM at the center of its narrative.

That element gives the film another dimension beyond its fake-dating premise.

Ali Hazelwood’s Support Mattered

Another important factor for the adaptation has been the response from Hazelwood herself.

According to PEOPLE, Reinhart and co-star Rachel Marsh have discussed the author’s enthusiastic support for the movie. Hazelwood was pleased with the casting and direction, and Reinhart described that support as meaningful. PPeople.com

That relationship can be particularly important when adapting a popular novel.

Readers often look to the original author for reassurance that the film respects the source material.

Hazelwood’s involvement and positive response therefore became part of the broader conversation surrounding the movie.

For Reinhart, the project represented a major opportunity to lead a high-profile romantic comedy while also helping shape the adaptation as an executive producer.

The Love Hypothesis Arrives on Prime Video

The Love Hypothesis premiered on Prime Video on September 23, 2026.

The movie stars Reinhart as Olive Smith and Bateman as Adam Carlsen, with Rachel Marsh, Jaboukie Young-White and Nicholas Duvernay among the supporting cast. PPeople.com+1

The film is directed by Claire Scanlon from a screenplay by Sarah Rothschild.

Its release represents the culmination of a long journey from fanfiction-inspired story to bestselling novel and, finally, major studio adaptation.

That history is part of what makes the project unusual.

The story began in online fandom, became a published romance and eventually attracted a major cast led by Reinhart and Bateman.

Now audiences can finally see Olive and Adam’s relationship on screen.

A New Chapter for Lili Reinhart

For Reinhart, The Love Hypothesis also represents an important moment in her career.

Her years on Riverdale made her internationally recognizable, but this project gives her an opportunity to lead a major romantic comedy while taking on additional responsibility behind the camera.

She has described the film as one of her most highly anticipated projects since Riverdale. EELLE

That expectation comes from several directions.

There is the popularity of Hazelwood’s novel.

There is the established fan interest in Olive and Adam.

There is the unusual Daisy Ridley connection.

And there is the growing online popularity of Reinhart and Bateman’s promotional videos.

Together, those elements have created a significant amount of attention around the adaptation.

Final Takeaway

The Love Hypothesis arrives with an unusual combination of romance, fandom and Hollywood coincidence behind it.

Lili Reinhart’s involvement went beyond playing Olive. As an executive producer, she participated in the process of finding the right actor for Adam, eventually helping bring Tom Bateman into the project.

Bateman, meanwhile, discovered that his real-life connection to Daisy Ridley intersected with the surprising fanfiction history behind Hazelwood’s novel.

Their on-screen chemistry became an important part of the film, while their off-screen friendship helped fuel a successful social-media campaign.

The intimate scenes presented another challenge, requiring trust, communication and careful coordination.

Ultimately, the film’s journey is almost as interesting as its central romance.

A fanfiction-inspired story became a bestselling novel. That novel became a major film adaptation. And at the center of it all are Reinhart and Bateman, tasked with making Olive and Adam feel real for both devoted readers and newcomers.

With The Love Hypothesis now streaming on Prime Video, audiences can finally judge how the beloved romance translates from page to screen.