New York Times best-selling author Ali Hazelwood released her debut novel, “The Love Hypothesis,” in September 2021. Five years later, the book is becoming a film, bringing her characters to life in a romance full of chemistry.
The lab-based romance focuses on Olive Smith, a third-year Stanford University PhD candidate, and a brooding young Stanford professor, Adam Carlsen. Their love story starts as a fake relationship deal benefiting both parties, but the lines between real and fake quickly fade as the two realize their feelings for one another.
The trailer for the new movie was released Aug. 26, drawing excitement from fans. In the trailer, there are many recognizable scenes from the book, including the kiss between the protagonists, sparking the initial idea for a fake romance. The popular “sunscreen scene” from the book is also shown in the trailer.
Smith is portrayed by Lili Reinhart, who is best known for her role as Betty Cooper on the popular television series, “Riverdale.” Tom Bateman is Carlsen, which connects the story back to its roots, making a full-circle moment for Hazelwood.
The book started as a fan fiction about Rey and Kylo Ren from the “Star Wars” saga. Carlsen’s character was modeled after Adam Driver, so fans were a bit disappointed to see he would not be playing Carlsen in the book adaptation. However, the final casting left most fans satisfied, as Bateman is the husband of Daisy Ridley, who played Rey. This connection ties the movie back to its roots as a “Reylo” fan fiction.
The book seems to be coming to life; the trailer captures the relationship well while also showing the emotion and angst that is apparent in the book. The book follows Smith as she studies in a lab at Stanford where Carlsen works as a professor. He has a reputation, earning him the nickname “Dr. Evil” in the adaptation.
Carlsen is trying to prove to the university that he can commit so he does not lose funding, as Smith tries to overcome a friend’s crush to get out of the way of what could be a perfect match. Their unique situations hurl the characters into a fake relationship.
Not only does the trailer bring to life some famous scenes from the book, but it also portrays the strong chemistry between Smith and Carlsen. Smith’s awkwardness and bubbly attitude are mixed with Carlsen's stiff, aloof personality, yet both work well together. From the trailer, the actors seem to accurately capture the feelings written in the book.
Reinhart and Bateman are also able to portray their individual characters; Reinhart has an air of excitement and passion for her work as read in the book. Bateman has Carlsen’s stern and intimidating persona down and is also seen softening for Smith, which is what makes fans swoon.
Hazelwood is also known for titles including “Problematic Summer Romance,” “Love, Theoretically,” and “Love on the Brain.” Hazelwood is part of the movie as an executive producer and the film is directed by Claire Scanlon, who also directed “Set It Up.” The film is written by Sarah Rothschild and will stream on Prime Video starting Sept. 23, almost exactly five years after the release of the original book.
Not every book detail can fit into one movie; however, fans are still hopeful to get as much of the book as possible on screen.
The journey of “The Love Hypothesis” was long, as it started as an online fan fiction and is now a best-selling book and soon-to-be film.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe this is happening,” Hazelwood said in a statement following the project announcement. “I cannot wait to see the final product they’ll come up with.”
