Lili Reinhart, best known for playing Betty Cooper on the hit CW seriesRiverdale, has signed on to star and produce an adaptation of the popular romance novelThe Love Hypothesisfor Amazon MGM Studios, according toDeadline. Reinhart will play Olive Smith, a biology PhD candidate who enters into a fake relationship with a difficult yet attractive professor named Dr. Adam Carlsen, who will be played by Tom Bateman, before the two begin developing real feelings for one another. The film will be directed by Claire Scanlon, who previously directed the 2018 Netflix romantic comedySet It Upstarring Glenn Powell and Zoey Deutch. Reinhart announced the news with a post on her Instagram, which can be seen below:
Written by Ali Hazelwood,The Love Hypothesiswas published by Berkley Books on Sept. 14, 2021. Originally published under the titleHead over Feetin 2018 asStar Warsfan fiction for the characters of Rey and Kylo Ren, often referred to as “Reylo”. The title and the characters' names were changed for publication, although the male lead, Adam Carlsen, is named after actor Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren. The book’s cover art features characters closely modeled after Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, the stars of theStar Warsfranchise that inspired the fan fiction. In a genius move of casting, Adam Carlsen will be played by Tom Bateman, who is Daisy Ridley’s real-life husband.
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The book became an instant hit and became aNew York TimesBest Seller, launching Hazelwood’s career as one of the premier romance authors, with her books specializing in STEM-based settings. Hazelwood said regarding the news around the feature film:
“Honestly, I still can’t believe this is happening? Elizabeth Cantillon, 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. 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.”
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After breaking out with her role onRiverdale, Reinhart has moved into a successful career as an actor and producer. Her next feature film, the mystery thrillerAmerican Sweatshop, premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest festival. She is also starring inForbidden Fruits, a horror film opposite Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Victoria Pedretti (The Haunting of Hill House), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse), Emma Chamberlain (Ruby Gilman, Teenage Kraken), and Gabrielle Union (Bring it On).
Shepreviously produced and starred inLook Both Ways, an innovative romantic comedy-drama directed by Wanuri Kahiu that explored two parallel timelines for a woman based on the results of a pregnancy test. The film saw Reinhart co-star withCaptain America: Brave New Worldstar Danny Ramirez andSupermanstar David Corenswet.The Love Hypothesisseems like the perfect vehicle for her production company, Small Victory Productions, which signed an overall deal with Amazon MGM in 2021 to create original and adapted material that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, as well as supporting new voices for a modern young adult audience.
The young adult romance genre has been a significant boon to bookstore sales and is a genre just waiting to be tapped into.Netflix is set to releasePeople We Meet on Vacation, from author Emily Henry, in January 2026.The Love Hypothesis, if marketed well, could be the romantic comedy that continues the genre’s resurgence at the box office. It might also speak to and tap into a crowd that was disappointed by the ending ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, offering them a consolation prize.Fifty Shades of GreyturnedTwilightfan fiction into a worldwide phenomenon, based on book sales.The Love Hypothesishas already turnedStar Warsfan fiction into a global hit.
