Lili Reinhart did not wait for The Love Hypothesis to be finished before posting about it. She and co-star Tom Bateman made TikToks while they were shooting the Prime Video romantic comedy. In a new interview, Reinhart said she knew a popular trend could be old news by the time the movie came out.
That decision did not go over smoothly at first. Reinhart told TheWrap that she got some pushback for posting so early. As the videos drew attention, the film team changed its approach.
“And did I get a smack on the wrist a little bit at first? Yes.”
That was Reinhart’s answer when asked about the initial reaction. Producer Elizabeth Cantillon said the production later brought in someone to shoot TikToks with the cast. The person was not part of the plan when filming began.
Which video changed their minds?
Director Claire Scanlon pointed to a post where Bateman picks Reinhart up and carries her. Scanlon told TheWrap that the video reached 57 million views by the next morning. That number is her account of what the team saw at the time, not a current total. The original post was published while the film was still in production.
The clip works because it shows the two actors together without explaining the whole movie. Bateman lifting Reinhart is a quick romantic-comedy moment. It also gave readers of Ali Hazelwood’s novel a look at their screen versions of Olive and Adam long before the official release campaign.
Why post while the cameras were still rolling?
Reinhart said she wanted the posts to feel current. If she saved a trend until the movie’s release a year later, it might not make sense to viewers anymore. Her early posts gave the cast room to play with what was popular that week instead of making every video part of a fixed campaign.
Cantillon described the shift on set as a change from the older habit of keeping movie material hidden until a formal first look. Scanlon said the fast response to Reinhart’s post made the team pay attention to the overlap between the actor’s followers and Hazelwood’s book fans. Neither said the videos alone made the film a success.
Where can you watch The Love Hypothesis?
The Love Hypothesis is streaming on Prime Video. Reinhart plays Olive, a Ph.D. student who starts a fake relationship with professor Adam Carlsen, played by Bateman. Scanlon directed the film, which premiered September 23. Our movie page has the cast and more about the story.
