Calling all romance fans: One of #BookTok's most popular reads of all time is getting the silver-screen treatment. Ali Hazelwood's bestselling book The Love Hypothesis is being adapted into a rom-com feature film and is set to arrive very soon!
For anyone not in the know, Hazelwood's contemporary STEM romance has been a staple on romance recommendation lists since it was published in September 2021. After 40 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, PhD student Olive and professor Adam's love story was greenlit to become a feature film. Amazon MGM Studios later took the reins, and filming took place throughout summer 2025. (You've probably seen behind-the-scenes clips on your For You page.)
As we wait for news of an official release date, buzz for the romance's long-awaited release continues to build. Read on for everything we know about the movie adaptation of The Love Hypothesis so far.
What is 'The Love Hypothesis' about?
The first of Ali Hazelwood's beloved "STEMinist" romances, The Love Hypothesis centers on Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. biology student at Stanford, and navigating the male-dominated field. When Olive needs to pretend that she's seeing someone, she kisses the first man she sees: Adam Carlsen, a superstar professor who's known for being a grump. (Of course, Olive is sunshine.) Olive and Adam agree to fake a relationship for mutually beneficial reasons, and a trope-y romance commences.
The Love Hypothesis also has a deep connection to, of all things, Star Wars. Hazelwood, a former neuroscience professor writing under a pseudonym, first posted the narrative as a Rey Skywalker/Kylo Ren (a.k.a. Reylo) alternate-universe fanfiction on Archive of Our Own. (The original fic has since been taken down.) According to Vulture, Hazelwood's agent reached out after the then-fanfic author expressed her interest in reworking her fics for traditional publishing. Not only did The Love Hypothesis's success help propel a Reylo trend in publishing, but Hazelwood has also since transitioned to writing full-time.
When will 'The Love Hypothesis' film be released?
Get ready to fall for Olive and Adam! In early June, Prime Video unveiled the release date for The Love Hypothesis: The movie will officially debut on streaming on September 23, 2026. The streamer confirmed the release date with a cheeky video on social media featuring star Lili Reinhart ordering a coffee drink (with ample whipped cream!) and the date on the cup. Along with the news, the streamer shared a series of first-look photos, which you can see throughout this story.
Fans knew the movie would release in 2026 for quite some time, thanks to Reinhart's frequently shared TikToks from set throughout filming, including one teasing a 2026 release date. At least we received plentiful content from the cast throughout production to tide us over until September.
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Who is in the cast of 'The Love Hypothesis' adaptation?
On July 16, 2025, Deadline announced that Riverdale alum Lili Reinhart signed on to both star in and executive-produce The Love Hypothesis. Per the outlet, Set It Up director Claire Scanlon is helming the film, and Ali Hazelwood serves as an executive producer.
Reinhart celebrated the announcement by sharing a selfie of herself in costume as Olive Smith—brunette hair, lab coat, and all—holding Hazelwood's book.
Meanwhile, British actor Tom Bateman will play Dr. Adam Carlsen. The 37-year-old is best known for appearing in the murder-mystery movies Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, as well as the series Da Vinci's Demons and Based on a True Story. (Fun fact: He's also married to Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley, who was his Orient Express co-star. She's since spoken out about her husband starring in Reylo fanfic, noting that she was aware of it, but had forgotten what it was by the time he booked the role.)
Rounding out the cast in unconfirmed roles are Adults' Rachel Marsh, The White Lotus' Nicholas Duvernay, internet legend/comedian Jaboukie Young-White, and Daredevil: Born Again's Arty Froushan.
In a statement about Reinhart's casting, Hazelwood expressed her excitement for the upcoming adaptation. "Honestly, I still can’t believe this is happening?" she wrote to Deadline. "Elizabeth Cantillon [the film’s producer], 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."
She continued, "Books and films are very different media, and I have complete trust in this brilliant team. I cannot wait to see the final product they’ll come up with. I hope they have as much fun filming as I had while writing the book."
What has Lili Reinhart said about 'The Love Hypothesis?'
If any of her many TikToks are an indication, it looks like Reinhart had a blast making The Love Hypothesis. But the star has also opened up about the process and hinted at what fans can expect.
While speaking to V Magazine in January 2026, she shared, "It’s not my typical genre, but I appreciate a really good romantic comedy. I felt like this was a chance to change the perception of the streamer rom-com and do something more elevated."
She also explained that, as a producer, she felt she had agency to speak about what felt right for her as an actress and hopefully make the best version of the film. "I tried to make the story as grounded as possible [even if it meant telling people] 'these words don’t feel organic coming out of my mouth,'" she told the outlet.
While speaking to us at Marie Claire for her Next Gen Issue cover story, Reinhart also teased the highly anticipated chemistry between Adam and Olive. "I'm just excited for people to see what we actually did with the film, and I hope they like it," she said in a Marie Claire video segment. "But we were aware of the vibes that people were expecting of Adam and Olive, and I think we did them justice." (A.K.A. it sounds like we're in for one spicy rom-com!)
Where can I watch 'The Love Hypothesis' film?
While fans were hopeful that we would get to see Olive and Adam's grumpy-sunshine love story on the big screen, it's headed straight to streaming. Come September, you'll be able to watch it on Prime Video from the comfort of your couch. (At least some other highly anticipated rom-com book-to-movie adaptations will be released in cinemas!)
Is there a trailer for 'The Love Hypothesis?'
A little less than a month before The Love Hypothesis hit streaming, Prime Video unveiled the full-length trailer. TLDR: Our hearts are already fluttering. The visual shows Olive's mastermind plan to convince her friend Ahn that it's alright to date her crush, Jeremy—starting with one impulsive kiss with the so-called "Dr. Evil" and leading up to a wild arrangement with him. "So, we're fake dating!" she tells Adam in his office while giggling.
By the look of the clip, Reinhart brings a real spunkiness to Olive, and Bateman is bound to capture Adam's awkward yet charming nature. To get fans amped, there are ample kisses and teases at iconic moments from the book—including the infamous hotel room scene—so it's safe to say the rom-com is bound to deliver.
Why Trust Us
Everyone on Marie Claire's Culture team considers themselves pop culture experts with an enduring love of all things TV, film, music, books, and more. Collectively, we have decades of experience writing about movies and television—from reviewing new releases and crafting hot takes on industry trends to writing retrospectives about excellent shows no longer on air and interviewing stars and behind-the-scenes talent. Members of our team pride themselves on deep knowledge of pop culture history and being part of associations like the Television Critics Association and GALECA. You can trust that we've triple-checked all of the information included in our explainers with trusted sources, and we have our eyes glued to Lili Reinhart's feed for any updates on our next favorite romance movie.
