The date is confirmed, the trailer is out, and the BookTok community is ready. The Love Hypothesis—the romantic comedy based on Ali Hazelwood's bestseller—will premiere on September 23, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video.
The Love Hypothesis premieres on September 23, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. This is the biggest BookTok adaptation of the autumn and the most anticipated moment of the year for fans of fake dating and grumpy sunshine. Amazon
What is The Love Hypothesis about?
The Love Hypothesis follows Olive, a brilliant PhD candidate focused on her future in academia. But when she realizes her best friend Anh is in love with her crush Jeremy, Olive impulsively kisses the intimidating Professor Adam Carlsen to prove she’s over him. Amazon
What starts as a desperate act of friendship escalates into a fake relationship with rules, boundaries, and a mutually beneficial agreement. As their arrangement begins to blur the line between play and reality, Olive is forced to test her most challenging hypothesis: that love might be worth the risk. The Hollywood Reporter
The cast of The Love Hypothesis
Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith
Reinhart shared the news of her casting by posting an Instagram selfie with the book, captioned "👀🧬❤️ #thelovehypothesis." The official Amazon MGM Studios Instagram replied: "Nice to meet you Olive Smith." aol
Reinhart is known for her role in the CW series Riverdale, Chemical Hearts, and Look Both Ways. She is also an executive producer for the film—meaning she not only plays Olive but was also actively involved in how the story was brought to the screen.
Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen
Amazon MGM Studios captioned the announcement of his casting: "Hypothesis: Tom Bateman is the perfect Adam Carlsen."
Tom Bateman is known for Murder on the Orient Express, Hedda, and most recently the Prime Video series Mammals. And then there's the most delightful fact of the entire casting: Bateman is married to Daisy Ridley—the actress known as Rey from Star Wars. And The Love Hypothesis originally began as a Star Wars fanfiction about Rey and Kylo Ren. So, the circle is complete.
The full cast:
- Rachel Marsh as Anh, Olive's best friend The Hollywood Reporter
- Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy, Olive's crush The Hollywood Reporter
- Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm The Hollywood Reporter
- Arty Froushan as Tom
- Jeananne Goossen as Dr. Aslan
The Star Wars connection no one expected
The Love Hypothesis began as a Star Wars fanfiction on the internet, focusing on the relationship between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren—a relationship dubbed "Reylo." Ali Hazelwood published this story online in 2018 as "Head Over Feet" before it was transformed into the novel The Love Hypothesis.
And now Daisy Ridley's husband plays the grumpy professor who is based on Kylo Ren. That's the kind of BookTok detail that will live forever in the community.
The trailer
On June 27, 2026, Prime Video unveiled the first teaser trailer for The Love Hypothesis at Obsessed Fest—an immersive fan event in Los Angeles attended by Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman themselves. Deadline
Previously, a video was also shared of Reinhart getting a sugary coffee—a nod to her character Olive, who always orders caffeinated drinks on her fake dates with Adam Carlsen. The Hollywood Reporter
The trailer confirms the chemistry between Reinhart and Bateman and the film's tone of voice: romantic, funny, and with just the right amount of tension.
The director and the script
The film is directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild. Scanlon previously directed The People We Hate at the Wedding and is known for her work as a director on series such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and GLOW. The Hollywood Reporter
Ali Hazelwood herself was involved in the creation of the film and shared her enthusiasm for the cast: "Honestly, I still can't believe this is happening?" aol
Read the book before September 23
Ali Hazelwood's novel The Love Hypothesis was on the New York Times bestseller list for ten months and has been sold in 40 countries. If you haven't read the book yet, you have until September 23. aol
Readers who know the book before the film is released always enjoy the adaptation more—they can compare their own Adam Carlsen to Tom Bateman, and they know all the details that a film inevitably shortens.
🔖 Save your favorite pages
Our romance bookmarks are perfect for preserving your most intense The Love Hypothesis moments.
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Why The Love Hypothesis is so perfect for Prime Video
The Love Hypothesis has everything on BookTok that makes an adaptation successful:
A built-in audience. The book has a huge fanbase that has been waiting for a film adaptation for years. These fans will watch the film even before its premiere—and bring friends along.
Recognizable tropes. Fake dating, grumpy sunshine, forbidden romance — every BookTok fan understands the dynamics within five minutes. No explanation needed.
Shareable moments. The sugary coffee, the first kiss, the revelation — The Love Hypothesis has the scenes that become clips on TikTok. Organic marketing built-in.
The Star Wars connection. A story that started as fanfiction and ends with the husband of the original inspiration playing the lead role. You can't write that yourself.
What to read after The Love Hypothesis?
If you're done with the book and waiting for September 23rd:
For more fake dating romance: Happy Place by Emily Henry combines second chance with fake dating in a similar emotional tone.
For more academia romance: Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden has the same academic setting but with a different angle.
For more Ali Hazelwood: Check out Love on the Brain, her second novel — same STEM setting and grumpy sunshine dynamic.
Want to be surprised? Our Blind Date with a Book (Romance) lets you choose the genre without knowing the title.
Complete your Love Hypothesis reading set for the movie
💕 The perfect The Love Hypothesis set:
✔ Romance bookmark — for your most intense pages
✔ Blind Date Book (Romance) — for when you're waiting for September 23rd
✔ Book Review Notepad — record what you thought of the book and the movie
✔ Reading Log (€1.99) — track your reading year
✔ Glass Can — for your iced coffee or matcha — just like Olive
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Enjoy watching and reading — and mark September 23rd in your calendar! 💕📚
Frequently Asked Questions about The Love Hypothesis on Prime Video
When is The Love Hypothesis coming to Prime Video?
The Love Hypothesis premieres on September 23, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Amazon
Who plays Olive and Adam in The Love Hypothesis?
Lili Reinhart plays Olive Smith and Tom Bateman plays Dr. Adam Carlsen in the movie. The Hollywood Reporter
Who directed The Love Hypothesis?
The movie is directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild. The Hollywood Reporter
Is there a trailer for The Love Hypothesis yet?
Yes. Prime Video unveiled the first teaser trailer on June 27, 2026, at Obsessed Fest in Los Angeles. Search on YouTube for "The Love Hypothesis Prime Video trailer" for the latest footage. Deadline
What is The Love Hypothesis's Star Wars connection?
The Love Hypothesis began as a Star Wars fanfiction about Rey and Kylo Ren. Tom Bateman, who plays Adam Carlsen, is married to Daisy Ridley — the actress who plays Rey in Star Wars.
Is The Love Hypothesis based on a book?
Yes. The Love Hypothesis is based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Ali Hazelwood, which spent ten months on the New York Times bestseller list and has been sold in 40 countries. aol