The Love Hypothesis movie adaptation has officially wrapped filming, and according to Lili Reinhart, the lead actress in the film, it is expected to be released sometime in 2026.
Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis is one of the most popular romance novels of all time, and its movie adaptation is also a highly anticipated project that fans worldwide are eagerly waiting for!
This novel is about Olive Smith, who doesn’t have the best luck in love. However, she attempts to convince her best friend, Anh, that she does by pretending to date her professor, Adam Carlsen. Of course, real feelings get involved, which is usually how this tends to go.
The author, Ali Hazelwood, was born in Italy and initially worked as a professor of neuroscience. This job has influenced her writing because she tends to write about women who work in STEM fields. Following her success as an author, Ali Hazelwood has left her teaching career to focus on her literary career!
Her first novel was The Love Hypothesis, which became a NYT bestseller. The interesting thing about this novel is that it was originally a Star Wars fanfiction starring characters Rey and Kylo Ren. Eventually, it was revised, and most Star Wars references were removed, making it a novel rather than fan fiction.
Since then, she has published several other novels, with more forthcoming in 2025. However, our focus in this article will be on The Love Hypothesis because it is being adapted into a movie.
The transition from book to screen was officially set in motion back in 2022, when Bisous Pictures acquired the rights. Fast forward to 2025, and the project has evolved into a high-profile production involving Amazon MGM Studios and MRC, which will bring Olive and Adam’s story to theaters or streaming very soon!
What is the Premise of The Love Hypothesis?
One of the main characters in The Love Hypothesis is Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate. She tends to focus a lot on school and academics, meaning her love life is a mess.
Her best friend Anh is concerned about this and is convinced that her romantic life is in peril. To trick her best friend into thinking that her romantic life is fine, Olive Smith decides to start fake dating Adam Carlsen, a young professor at her college.
But she’s surprised when Adam agrees to fake date her and help her continue her charade because she always viewed Adam as a very difficult person.
At first, everything seemed to be going well. They convince people they are an actual couple, but eventually, real feelings develop. When this happens, Olive begins to panic because this was not supposed to happen.
That’s the basic plot of The Love Hypothesis book, and it is likely to remain the same for the upcoming movie adaptation as well.
It’s natural for book-to-movie adaptations to condense the source material to fit the movie’s runtime, and for rom-com books like this one, it won’t present a challenge to write a script that does justice to the novel.
What is The Love Hypothesis Movie Release Date?
In October 2022, the author herself announced that a movie based on her book, The Love Hypothesis, was in development.
It’s been quite a wait for fans; however, this year, the official cast was announced, filming began, and it has even wrapped up, with a release window also announced.
Although the movie still doesn’t have an exact release date, it is scheduled for release in 2026.
The date was announced by Lili Reinhart, the lead actress who portrays Olive Smith in the movie, in one of her latest TikTok videos, and we can expect an official announcement soon.
With a strong studio backing and filming wrapped up, the 2026 release date doesn’t look far-fetched, so we should get ready to watch our favorite characters brought to life on the big screen by some of today’s best actors.
What is The Cast of The Love Hypothesis Movie?
It was announced in July 2025 that Lili Reinhart would play the role of Olive Smith and Tom Bateman would star as Adam Carlsen in the movie adaptation.
If you didn’t know, Tom Bateman is the real-life husband of Daisy Ridley. Daisy played the role of Rey in the Star Wars film, which served as the inspiration for the lead character in the fanfic Ali Hazelwood wrote, focusing on Rey and Kylo Ren.
Fans who knew The Love Hypothesis was originally a Star Wars fanfic were really hoping to see Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver cast in the lead roles. I was one of them, but after seeing Lili Reinhart dropping all those TikTok videos with her co-star, I am very happy with the casting decision!
The full cast was announced later in August 2025.
Rachel Marsh was cast as Anh Pham, Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm, Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy Langley, and Arty Froushan as Tom Benton.
Who is Developing The Love Hypothesis Movie?
Amazon MGM Studios, MRC, and Bisous Pictures are behind the development of the novel’s movie adaptation!
Directed by Claire Scanlon, the movie’s screenplay is written by Sarah Rothschild. Ali Hazelwood, the novel’s author, and Lili Reinhart, the lead actress, are serving as executive producers along with Elizabeth Cantillon and Catherine Hagedorn.
Should You Read The Book Instead?
Absolutely. The Love Hypothesis delivers the inner monologues, innocent nerves, and irresistible chemistry that build each relationship beat by beat. There are many reasons why it has become one of the biggest, most popular books in the romance genre, and you should read the book to discover all those reasons for yourself!
Moreover, reading the book first lets you absorb the clever dialogue and emotional nuance that a movie might condense. Plus, you’ll walk on screen day feeling like you’re in on the secrets and subtext, ready to catch what made Olive and Adam’s story such a standout in the first place.
So, go ahead and read the book, if you haven’t already, and get ready for The Love Hypothesis movie as soon as it is released!
Upcoming Book Adaptations: