Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman Star in The Love Hypothesis
Behind the Scenes: Cinema: Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman Star in The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis, the adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s novel, arrives on Prime Video on 23 September. Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman play the leads, and Claire Scanlon directs.
The book came out in 2021, made the New York Times bestseller list and has sold more than 750,000 copies, and the film is one of the most anticipated romantic comedies of the autumn.
What the film is about
Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) is a PhD student in biology. To convince her friend that she has a love life, she kisses the first man she sees in the corridor. He turns out to be Dr Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), the most intimidating professor in the department.
To Olive’s surprise, Adam agrees to play along, because a fake relationship suits him too. The two scientists end up running an experiment on their own feelings, and the longer it lasts, the less it feels like a game.
From fan fiction to bestseller
The novel has an unusual history. In 2018 Hazelwood wrote a Star Wars fan fiction called “Head Over Feet” about Rey and Kylo Ren. She later changed the characters’ names, removed the Star Wars references and moved the story to Stanford University, and The Love Hypothesis was born.
It became the first in a series of novels about women in science, followed by Love on the Brain. In 2021 The Love Hypothesis came second in the Romance category of the Goodreads Choice Awards, fewer than 700 votes behind the winner.
Cast and crew
Lili Reinhart is known for Riverdale, and Tom Bateman for Kenneth Branagh’s mysteries Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. The cast also includes Rachel Marsh as Olive’s friend Anh, Jaboukie Young-White, Nicholas Duvernay and Arty Froushan.
Claire Scanlon has directed romantic comedies before, including Set It Up and People We Hate at the Wedding. The screenplay is by Sarah Rothschild, the score by Laura Karpman, and Elizabeth Cantillon produces. The project was announced in October 2022 and filmed in Montreal in July and August 2025.
What the trailer shows
The trailer arrived at the end of August, and fans of the book spotted their favourite scenes: the first kiss in the corridor, the sunscreen moment and a night in a shared hotel room. Reinhart herself hopes the film will feel “timeless” — one you want to rewatch with friends.
Where to watch
The film streams exclusively on Prime Video from 23 September. Cast, stills and the trailer are on the film’s page in our AMDB database.
Share
Author: Vikram Nair, film production writer
Publication date: 23 September 2026
Views: 22
Comments
Other materials in this section
Travis Knight’s adaptation of Colin Meloy’s novel arrives in October: 231 puppets, 136 sets and the voices of Carey Mulligan and Mahershala Ali.
DC Studios’ new film arrives in time for Halloween: a body horror story from Mike Flanagan about an actor whose body turns into living clay.
The live-action adaptation of Capcom’s fighting game series arrives in October: the story, the cast, the change of directors and why this is the third attempt to bring the game to the big screen.
Understand why the same scene is filmed repeatedly, how to interpret director's cues, and practical tips to avoid burnout during long shooting days.
Kevin Macdonald’s thriller on Prime Video: 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and No. 1 in the US, the UK and 38 other countries. What the film is about, who made it and how London became its set.
Lance Oppenheim’s first fiction feature about To Catch a Predator: the true story of the Murphy sting, the Venice premiere, the reviews and the real Chris Hansen’s response.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
