Lili Reinhart had a say in who would play opposite her in The Love Hypothesis. After chemistry reads with several actors, Tom Bateman stood out as Adam Carlsen. Reinhart told ELLE she already knew he was a strong actor; the unusual link to the book came later.
Reinhart plays Olive Smith, a Ph.D. candidate whose attempt to help her best friend turns into a fake relationship with Adam, a professor. She is also an executive producer of the film. That gave her a place in the casting process, though the decision was not about finding someone with a clever connection to the story’s past.
Why did Tom Bateman get the role?
Reinhart said she was nervous about finding the right partner for the film. She wanted someone who could make the pairing work on screen and support a story led by Olive. After working with Bateman, she described him as a kind scene partner despite Adam’s cold first impression.
“I genuinely still can’t believe that we found him.” — Lili Reinhart, speaking to ELLE about Tom Bateman
Bateman told ELLE that Reinhart was one reason he wanted to make the movie. He said their different personalities worked well together, and the two became friends during filming. Their comments put the focus back on the actors and their work, even if a coincidence has become a big part of the conversation around the film.
What is the Star Wars connection?
Ali Hazelwood’s novel grew out of fan fiction inspired by Rey and Kylo Ren from Star Wars. Daisy Ridley played Rey in the films, and Bateman is her husband. Bateman plays Adam in The Love Hypothesis, a character whose roots are tied to Kylo Ren. That is a curious connection, but it was not a casting plan: both actors told ELLE that Bateman and Ridley did not know about the link when he took the part.
Where can you watch The Love Hypothesis?
The Love Hypothesis is streaming now on Prime Video. Reinhart plays Olive and Bateman plays Adam in the film directed by Claire Scanlon. The official Prime Video description confirms that it is a movie, not a TV series.
