The Love Hypothesis: From Star Wars Fan Fiction to Prime Video Romance
Tom Bateman signed on to The Love Hypothesis without knowing it was based on a book. He said so in a joint interview with co-star Lili Reinhart published by The Hollywood Reporter on 24 September 2026. The twist is a good one. Ali Hazelwood's novel started as fan fiction for Star Wars characters Kylo Ren and Rey, and Bateman's real-life wife Daisy Ridley played Rey.
The film premiered on 23 September on Prime Video, according to Amazon MGM Studios. It is described as a romantic comedy by Fox 5 Atlanta. Claire Scanlon directs from Hazelwood's novel of the same name.
Reinhart plays Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith. Bateman plays professor Dr. Adam Carlsen. In the story, the pair pretend to be in a relationship, as outlined when the official trailer was released by The Hollywood Reporter.
Reinhart is also an executive producer on the production. Elizabeth Cantillon produced the film. The wider cast includes Rachel Marsh, Nicholas Duvernay and Jaboukie Young-White.
The run-up was steady. First-look photos arrived with a September release date in June. The official trailer followed in August. That is a short, sharp sales push for a streaming romance.
Reinhart and Bateman visited Brazil for pre-release press and a screening. The two were also named among the first wave of talent for Prime Video's Obsessed Fest. They spoke to TODAY.com about reading the book for the first time, and Reinhart discussed casting Bateman in an interview with People.
They gave another interview to The Hindu, published on 22 September 2026. Modern-day fandom was among the subjects in their Hollywood Reporter conversation. It fits the material. A story that began with fans rewriting a space saga now returns to them as a studio release.
For fans, this means a short wait is over. The book found its readers online first. The film brings that same fake-dating plot to a much larger living-room audience.
