The Love Hypothesis is a 2026 American romantic comedy film based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling 2021 novel of the same name. Directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild, the movie stars Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen.
The story follows Olive, a Stanford PhD candidate whose carefully organized academic life becomes unexpectedly complicated after she kisses Adam, a notoriously intimidating professor, in an attempt to convince her best friend that she has moved on from her crush.
What begins as an impulsive kiss quickly turns into a fake relationship.
And, as rom-com rules usually dictate, pretending to be in love becomes considerably more complicated when the feelings stop being pretend.
The film was released on Prime Video on September 23, 2026, making it one of the major 2026 book-to-screen romance adaptations.
The Love Hypothesis Wiki
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie | The Love Hypothesis |
| Year | 2026 |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy |
| Based on | The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood |
| Director | Claire Scanlon |
| Screenplay | Sarah Rothschild |
| Lead Cast | Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman |
| Olive Smith | Lili Reinhart |
| Adam Carlsen | Tom Bateman |
| Anh Pham | Rachel Marsh |
| Jeremy Langley | Nicholas Duvernay |
| Malcolm Browne | Jaboukie Young-White |
| Tom Benton | Arty Froushan |
| Production | Amazon MGM Studios, MRC Film, Bisous Pictures |
| Distributor | Prime Video |
| Release Date | September 23, 2026 |
| Runtime | About 1 hour 52 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
Prime Video lists the film as a 2026 romantic comedy with a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes and credits Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Duvernay, Jaboukie Young-White, Arty Froushan and Rachel Marsh in the principal cast.
What Is The Love Hypothesis About?
The movie centers on Olive Smith, a biology PhD candidate at Stanford.
Olive is intelligent, ambitious and deeply focused on her scientific career. Romance isn’t exactly at the top of her priority list.
Her best friend Anh becomes interested in Olive’s crush, Jeremy. Because Olive doesn’t want Anh to feel guilty about dating him, she tries to convince her friend that she has already moved on.
Her solution is impulsive.
Olive kisses the first man she can find.
Unfortunately, that man happens to be Dr. Adam Carlsen, one of the most intimidating professors in the department.
Adam has a reputation for being brilliant, demanding and extremely difficult to impress.
The situation becomes even more complicated when Adam needs a fake relationship of his own.
The two therefore make an arrangement.
They will pretend to be together.
The relationship is supposed to be temporary, practical and completely controlled.
But Olive soon discovers that the biggest variable in the experiment is something neither of them planned for:
real feelings.
The Love Hypothesis Cast
Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith
Lili Reinhart plays Olive Smith, the film’s main protagonist.
Olive is a biology PhD candidate whose life revolves around science and her future academic career.
She is intelligent but socially awkward, and she tends to overthink situations. Her scientific mindset also influences the way she approaches relationships.
Instead of allowing herself to simply experience her feelings, Olive often tries to analyze them.
That becomes particularly difficult once her fake relationship with Adam starts feeling real.
Reinhart is best known for playing Betty Cooper in Riverdale, but The Love Hypothesis gives her a very different kind of romantic-comedy role.
Her performance has also become one of the main talking points in early reviews. Some critics have particularly praised her comic timing and ability to carry the film’s more awkward moments.
Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen
Tom Bateman plays Dr. Adam Carlsen, Olive’s professor and eventual fake boyfriend.
Adam is essentially the classic “grumpy professor” character.
He is extremely intelligent, intimidating and notoriously difficult for students and colleagues to deal with.
Students have given him an intimidating reputation, but there is considerably more to Adam than his stern exterior suggests.
His relationship with Olive gradually reveals a softer side.
The character is also important to the film’s central romantic dynamic because Olive and Adam initially appear to be complete opposites.
Olive is more openly expressive and anxious.
Adam is controlled and reserved.
Their differences create much of the film’s comedy and romantic tension.
Rachel Marsh as Anh Pham
Rachel Marsh plays Anh Pham, Olive’s best friend.
Anh is one of the most important supporting characters because her romantic situation is what initially pushes Olive into the fake-dating arrangement.
Anh believes Olive has feelings for Jeremy, and Olive doesn’t want her friend to avoid pursuing him because of her.
The friendship between Olive and Anh provides an emotional foundation for the story beyond the central romance.
Marsh has spoken about reading Hazelwood’s novel before joining the film and becoming particularly interested in the friendship between the two characters.
Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy Langley
Nicholas Duvernay plays Jeremy Langley, the man at the center of the initial romantic misunderstanding.
Jeremy is Olive’s crush and also becomes connected to Anh’s storyline.
His presence creates the situation that ultimately causes Olive to make the impulsive decision that changes her relationship with Adam.
Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm Browne
Jaboukie Young-White plays Malcolm Browne.
Malcolm is part of Olive’s academic and social circle and provides additional humor and support throughout the story.
Young-White is known for his work in comedy as well as acting and voice roles.
His presence gives the movie another source of comedic energy outside Olive and Adam’s relationship.
Arty Froushan as Dr. Tom Benton
Arty Froushan plays Dr. Tom Benton.
Tom is an important figure in Adam’s professional world and is also connected to Olive’s ambitions.
His character becomes particularly relevant as Olive navigates the competitive academic environment.
Froushan’s character is also part of the film’s larger academic conflict rather than simply functioning as another romantic-comedy side character.
Other The Love Hypothesis Cast
The film has a larger supporting ensemble that includes:
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Lili Reinhart | Olive Smith |
| Tom Bateman | Dr. Adam Carlsen |
| Rachel Marsh | Anh Pham |
| Nicholas Duvernay | Jeremy Langley |
| Jaboukie Young-White | Malcolm Browne |
| Arty Froushan | Dr. Tom Benton |
| Jeananne Goossen | Dr. Juliet Aslan |
| Aladeen Tawfeek | Dr. Eugene Fastuca |
| Kenny Wong | McConnell |
| Aadi Maaj | Dr. Sethi |
| Alexandra Petrachuk | Natalie |
| Daniel Brochu | Dr. Hargrave |
| Ines Feghouli | Rosa |
The film also includes numerous students, professors and other university characters.
Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman Chemistry
One of the biggest questions surrounding the adaptation was whether Reinhart and Bateman could recreate the chemistry readers associated with Olive and Adam.
Their pairing is central to the entire movie because the fake-dating premise only works if the audience believes that the relationship can gradually transform into something genuine.
The two actors have spoken about their preparation for the roles and their chemistry during production.
Their promotional appearances also generated considerable attention online, including a video recreating the book’s famous one-armed lift that went viral.
Critics, however, have not been completely unanimous.
Some reviews have praised their chemistry and romantic dynamic, while others have argued that the movie doesn’t consistently reproduce the slow-burn attraction of the novel.
The Love Hypothesis Story Explained
Olive’s Academic Life
Olive is a PhD student working toward a career in science.
She is particularly passionate about research and wants to make meaningful contributions to her field.
Her academic ambitions are important because the story isn’t simply about romance.
Olive’s career and identity as a scientist are constantly connected to her relationship with Adam.
Olive Kisses Adam
The entire relationship begins with an impulsive decision.
Olive wants Anh to believe that she has moved on from Jeremy.
Instead of explaining everything, she suddenly kisses a man.
That man turns out to be Adam.
And not just any Adam.
He is the intimidating professor students call “Dr. Evil.”
Olive immediately realizes that she has created an enormous problem for herself.
The Fake Relationship
Adam eventually becomes involved in the arrangement.
The two decide that pretending to be a couple can solve problems for both of them.
Olive can convince her friends that she’s moved on.
Adam can use the relationship to help with his own professional circumstances.
They establish rules and boundaries.
The relationship is supposed to be an experiment.
Neither expects it to become emotionally complicated.
Why Do Olive and Adam Fake-Date?
There are two major reasons.
Olive’s reason
Olive wants Anh to believe that she is no longer interested in Jeremy.
She doesn’t want Anh to sacrifice her own happiness because of Olive’s feelings.
Adam’s reason
Adam also benefits professionally from appearing to be in a relationship.
The arrangement therefore becomes mutually beneficial.
They aren’t initially pretending to date because they are secretly in love.
They are doing it because both believe they can get something practical out of the arrangement.
Olive and Adam’s Relationship
Their relationship follows one of the most recognizable romantic-comedy tropes:
Fake dating → real feelings.
At first, they are awkward around one another.
They have different personalities and communication styles.
But spending more time together gradually changes how they see each other.
Olive begins to recognize that Adam’s intimidating personality hides a more complicated person.
Adam, meanwhile, starts seeing Olive as much more than an ambitious student.
The boundaries they established become increasingly difficult to maintain.
Is The Love Hypothesis Based on a Book?
Yes.
The movie is based on Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 novel The Love Hypothesis.
The novel became a major romance bestseller and developed a particularly strong following online.
The book is known for combining:
- Fake dating
- Enemies-to-lovers elements
- Academic romance
- STEM setting
- Slow-burn romance
- Grumpy/sunshine dynamics
- Workplace and university tension
The movie retains the central fake-dating premise while adapting the story for a roughly two-hour film.
The Love Hypothesis and Reylo Fanfiction
One of the most interesting facts about The Love Hypothesis is its origin.
Ali Hazelwood’s novel grew out of a Star Wars-inspired fanfiction concept involving Rey and Kylo Ren, commonly referred to by fans as “Reylo.”
The published novel transformed that inspiration into original characters.
Olive Smith became the protagonist, while Adam Carlsen became the male lead.
The movie adaptation therefore represents an unusual journey:
Fanfiction → bestselling novel → major streaming movie.
That background has become part of the cultural story surrounding the film.
Is The Love Hypothesis a Star Wars Movie?
No.
The 2026 movie is not a Star Wars adaptation.
It is based on Ali Hazelwood’s original novel.
The connection to Star Wars comes from the novel’s fanfiction origins, not from the actual plot or characters of the finished movie.
There are no Rey or Kylo Ren characters in The Love Hypothesis.
The Love Hypothesis Director
Claire Scanlon
Claire Scanlon directed The Love Hypothesis.
Scanlon has extensive experience with comedy and romantic comedy, making her a natural fit for the material.
She previously directed the acclaimed Netflix romantic comedy Set It Up, which also focuses on workplace relationships and romantic chemistry.
Her direction of The Love Hypothesis places the story firmly in the modern studio rom-com tradition while retaining the academic setting of Hazelwood’s novel.
The Love Hypothesis Writer
Sarah Rothschild
Sarah Rothschild wrote the screenplay.
The screenplay adapts Hazelwood’s novel while condensing a longer story into a feature-length movie.
That required reducing some of the book’s internal narration and turning Olive’s thoughts into visual scenes, dialogue and performances.
The Love Hypothesis Producers
The film is produced through Amazon MGM Studios, MRC Film and Bisous Pictures.
Elizabeth Cantillon is credited as a producer.
The project was originally announced as a film adaptation in 2022 before moving forward with its principal cast several years later.
The Love Hypothesis Release Date
The Love Hypothesis premiered on Prime Video on September 23, 2026.
Unlike a traditional theatrical romantic comedy, the movie was positioned as a streaming release.
Prime Video’s official listing identifies it as a 2026 romantic comedy and lists the principal cast and creative team.
Where to Watch The Love Hypothesis
The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
In India, Prime Video’s official promotional material confirms the September 23 release and lists the movie with multiple Indian-language audio options, including:
- English
- Hindi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Malayalam
- Kannada
Availability and language options can vary by territory.
The Love Hypothesis Runtime
The movie runs for approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes according to Prime Video’s listing.
Some third-party databases list the runtime at around 110 minutes, which is broadly consistent with Prime Video’s listing.
The Love Hypothesis Rating
The movie is rated R in the United States.
Prime Video’s international listings may display different age classifications depending on the country.
The film contains adult romantic material and other content that may result in different ratings across territories.
The Love Hypothesis Genre
The movie is primarily:
- Romantic comedy
- Romance
- Comedy
It also includes elements of:
- Academic drama
- Fake dating
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Slow-burn romance
- Contemporary romance
The Love Hypothesis Review
The critical response has been mixed but generally positive overall, with substantial disagreement about how effectively the film translates the novel’s slow-burn romance to the screen.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the movie at 86% from 22 critic reviews, although the score can change as more reviews are added.
Some critics have praised Lili Reinhart’s performance and the film’s romantic-comedy elements.
Other reviewers have argued that the adaptation moves too quickly and doesn’t fully recreate the emotional build-up that made the book popular.
For example, The Guardian criticized the film’s romantic chemistry and called the adaptation less effective than the source material, while RogerEbert.com was considerably more favorable toward Reinhart and Scanlon’s approach.
Indian reviews have also highlighted the central pairing, with some praising Reinhart and Bateman’s chemistry while noting that the film compresses the novel’s slow-burn quality.
Because the movie has only recently premiered, audience reception is still developing.
The Love Hypothesis: Book vs Movie
| Element | Book | Movie |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Ali Hazelwood | — |
| Olive | Olive Smith | Lili Reinhart |
| Adam | Dr. Adam Carlsen | Tom Bateman |
| Setting | Academic/STEM world | Academic/STEM world |
| Main trope | Fake dating | Fake dating |
| Romance | Slow burn | Condensed for feature runtime |
| Format | Novel | Feature film |
| Release | 2021 | 2026 |
| Platform | Book | Prime Video |
The biggest challenge for the movie is time.
A novel can spend hundreds of pages developing attraction through internal thoughts, small conversations and misunderstandings.
A film has roughly two hours.
That means the adaptation necessarily moves through Olive and Adam’s relationship much faster.
The Love Hypothesis Ending
Spoiler warning: The following section discusses the movie’s ending.
The central question throughout the story is whether Olive and Adam’s relationship is still an experiment or whether it has become genuine.
As their relationship develops, the distinction between their fake arrangement and their real feelings becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Olive eventually has to confront the possibility that the relationship she originally created as a convenient arrangement is actually the relationship she wants.
Adam faces a similar realization.
The movie ultimately resolves the central romantic conflict by moving Olive and Adam beyond the rules of their fake relationship.
Their relationship becomes genuine rather than remaining an arrangement created for practical reasons.
The ending therefore delivers the expected romantic-comedy payoff:
the fake relationship becomes real love.
Does The Love Hypothesis Have a Sequel?
There is currently no confirmed movie sequel announced for The Love Hypothesis.
However, Ali Hazelwood’s literary universe contains additional novels featuring different characters.
The original book is part of Hazelwood’s broader romance catalog, meaning there are opportunities for future adaptations, but that does not mean a direct sequel movie has been confirmed.
The Love Hypothesis Books in the Same Universe
Fans interested in Ali Hazelwood’s work can also explore books such as:
- Love on the Brain
- Love, Theoretically
- The Pairing
- Check & Mate
- Not in Love
- Deep End
These books feature their own characters and romantic stories.
They should not automatically be considered direct sequels to Olive and Adam’s story.
Why Fans Were Excited About The Love Hypothesis Movie
The film had several things working in its favor before release.
First, the original novel already had a large romance readership.
Second, the fake-dating trope remains extremely popular.
Third, the movie’s casting created significant interest, particularly the pairing of Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman.
And finally, the film had an experienced romantic-comedy director in Claire Scanlon.
The biggest challenge was always going to be translating a beloved slow-burn romance into a movie that has to move quickly.
The Love Hypothesis Trailer
The official trailer introduces Olive’s academic ambitions, her friendship with Anh, the impulsive kiss involving Adam and the fake relationship that follows.
It also emphasizes the contrast between Olive’s personality and Adam’s intimidating reputation.
The trailer’s central selling point is straightforward:
fake dating + science + enemies-to-lovers romance.
Prime Video released the official trailer ahead of the September 23 premiere.
The Love Hypothesis Movie vs Novel Characters
The main characters remain recognizable from Hazelwood’s book.
Olive Smith
The intelligent and ambitious biology PhD student at the center of the story.
Adam Carlsen
The intimidating professor who becomes Olive’s fake boyfriend.
Anh Pham
Olive’s close friend and one of the main reasons the fake relationship begins.
Jeremy Langley
The man connected to Olive and Anh’s initial romantic situation.
Malcolm Browne
Part of Olive’s social circle and a source of additional humor.
Tom Benton
A scientist connected to Adam and Olive’s professional world.
The Love Hypothesis FAQ
Is The Love Hypothesis a movie?
Yes. The Love Hypothesis is a 2026 romantic comedy film based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel.
When was The Love Hypothesis released?
The movie premiered on September 23, 2026 on Prime Video.
Who plays Olive in The Love Hypothesis?
Lili Reinhart plays Olive Smith.
Who plays Adam in The Love Hypothesis?
Tom Bateman plays Dr. Adam Carlsen.
Is The Love Hypothesis on Netflix?
No. The movie is a Prime Video release.
Where can I watch The Love Hypothesis?
The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Is The Love Hypothesis based on a true story?
No. It is a fictional romantic comedy based on Ali Hazelwood’s novel.
Is The Love Hypothesis based on fanfiction?
Yes. Ali Hazelwood’s original story was inspired by Reylo fanfiction involving characters from Star Wars before being developed into the original novel.
Is The Love Hypothesis a Star Wars movie?
No. The movie has no official Star Wars connection. Its connection comes from the inspiration behind the original novel.
How long is The Love Hypothesis?
The Prime Video listing gives the movie a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Who directed The Love Hypothesis?
Claire Scanlon directed the movie.
Who wrote The Love Hypothesis movie?
Sarah Rothschild wrote the screenplay based on Ali Hazelwood’s novel.
Is Tom Bateman married to Daisy Ridley?
Yes. Tom Bateman is married to actress Daisy Ridley. Ridley’s Star Wars character Rey was part of the inspiration behind the original novel’s fanfiction origins, making Bateman’s casting as Adam an interesting connection for fans.
Does Olive end up with Adam?
Yes. The central romance ultimately resolves with Olive and Adam becoming a genuine couple rather than remaining in their fake relationship.
Will there be The Love Hypothesis 2?
No direct sequel film has been officially announced at this time.
Final Verdict on The Love Hypothesis
The Love Hypothesis takes one of the most recognizable romance setups — fake dating — and places it inside the competitive world of academic science.
At the center are Olive Smith and Adam Carlsen, two scientists who initially believe they can control their arrangement through rules and boundaries.
Of course, romance doesn’t follow scientific rules.
The film’s greatest strength is its central pairing and the appeal of the story itself: an ambitious scientist, an intimidating professor, a fake relationship and feelings neither character expected.
Whether the movie works as well as the book will depend heavily on how much viewers value the original novel’s slower emotional development.
For fans of Ali Hazelwood, Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman and modern academic rom-coms, the movie offers a straightforward screen version of one of the most recognizable romance stories of the 2020s.
The Love Hypothesis is now streaming on Prime Video.