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Fans of Ali Hazelwood's bestselling romance novel The Love Hypothesis won't have to wait much longer to see Olive and Adam's story come to life.
The Love Hypothesis premieres September 23, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video, bringing the popular fake-dating romance from the page to the screen.
The Love Hypothesis: Key Takeaways
- Release Date: September 23, 2026
- Where to Watch: Prime Video
- Based On: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- Olive: Lili Reinhart
- Adam Carlsen: Tom Bateman
- Director: Claire Scanlon
- Screenplay: Sarah Rothschild
- Genre: Romantic comedy
- What It's About: A Ph.D. candidate's impulsive kiss leads to a fake relationship with professor Adam Carlsen—and feelings that weren't part of the plan.
The movie stars Lili Reinhart as Olive and Tom Bateman as Adam Carlsen, with Claire Scanlon directing.
Whether you've read the book or you're discovering the story for the first time, here's what to know about The Love Hypothesis movie before it arrives on Prime Video.
When Does The Love Hypothesis Movie Come Out?
The Love Hypothesis premieres September 23, 2026.
The movie will be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
That means you won't need to head to a movie theater to see Olive and Adam's relationship unfold. You'll be able to stream the movie from home when it premieres.
What Is The Love Hypothesis About?
At the center of The Love Hypothesis is Olive, a talented Ph.D. candidate who is much more comfortable thinking about her academic future than navigating relationships.
Things become complicated when Olive realizes that her best friend, Ahn, has feelings for Olive's crush, Jeremy.
Trying to convince Ahn that she's moved on, Olive makes a very impulsive decision: she kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen.
One spontaneous kiss soon turns into something much bigger.
Olive and Adam enter a fake relationship complete with rules, boundaries and an arrangement that's supposed to benefit both of them.
Of course, pretending to be a couple becomes considerably more complicated when the feelings between them don't seem quite so fake anymore.
It's a setup that combines romance, comedy, academia and one of the most popular romance tropes around: fake dating.
Is The Love Hypothesis Based on a Book?
Yes. The Love Hypothesis is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Ali Hazelwood.
The book helped establish Hazelwood as a major name in contemporary romance and became especially popular among readers who enjoy romantic stories set within academic and STEM environments.
At the center of both versions is the relationship between Olive and Adam and the fake-dating arrangement that begins after Olive unexpectedly kisses him.
For longtime readers, one of the biggest reasons to watch will undoubtedly be seeing how the characters and memorable moments from the novel have been adapted for the screen.
The book helped establish Hazelwood as a major name in contemporary romance and became especially popular among readers who enjoy romantic stories set within academic and STEM environments. The novel was published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and readers can find The Love Hypothesis on Penguin Random House.
Who Plays Olive in The Love Hypothesis?
Lili Reinhart plays Olive in The Love Hypothesis.
Many viewers will recognize Reinhart from her role as Betty Cooper on Riverdale. She has also appeared in movies including Hustlers, Chemical Hearts and Look Both Ways.
This time she's stepping into the world of academia as a Ph.D. candidate whose attempt to help her best friend accidentally creates a romantic experiment of her own.
Olive is smart and focused on her future, but her carefully planned life becomes considerably less predictable once Adam enters the picture.
Who Plays Adam Carlsen?
Tom Bateman plays Adam Carlsen, the intimidating professor Olive unexpectedly kisses.
Bateman has appeared in a number of television series and movies, including Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.
Adam's relationship with Olive begins as an arrangement rather than a traditional romance. The two establish rules and boundaries for their fake relationship, but maintaining those boundaries becomes increasingly difficult as they spend more time together.
For readers of Hazelwood's novel, the casting of Adam is likely to be one of the most closely watched parts of the adaptation.
Who Else Is in The Love Hypothesis Cast?
Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman lead the movie, but several other characters play important roles in Olive and Adam's story.
The announced cast includes:
- Lili Reinhart as Olive
- Tom Bateman as Adam Carlsen
- Rachel Marsh as Ahn
- Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy
- Jaboukie Young-White
- Arty Froushan
Ahn is particularly important to how Olive and Adam's unusual relationship begins. Olive realizes her best friend has fallen for Jeremy, which ultimately leads to the impulsive kiss that starts everything.
Who Is Directing The Love Hypothesis?
The Love Hypothesis is directed by Claire Scanlon, with the screenplay written by Sarah Rothschild.
Scanlon has worked extensively in television and comedy and previously directed the romantic comedy Set It Up.
The movie is produced by Elizabeth Cantillon.
That creative team should make The Love Hypothesis particularly interesting for viewers looking for a romantic comedy that balances the book's relationship story with its lighter and more awkward moments.
Prime Video has also released the official teaser trailer for The Love Hypothesis, giving fans an early look at Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman as Olive and Adam before the movie's September 23 premiere.
The Love Hypothesis will stream exclusively on Prime Video beginning September 23, 2026. Amazon has also included the movie in its official September 2026 Prime Video lineup.
Why The Love Hypothesis Could Be One of Prime Video's Big Romance Movies
Book-to-screen adaptations already arrive with an audience wondering how their favorite characters will translate to the screen, and The Love Hypothesis is no exception.
There's also a combination here that feels tailor-made for a romantic comedy.
You've got fake dating.
An impulsive kiss.
Two people who aren't supposed to actually fall for each other.
And an academic setting that gives the story something different from the typical workplace or small-town romance.
For readers, September 23 will finally provide the opportunity to compare the movie with Hazelwood's novel.
For everyone else, you don't necessarily need to know anything about the book beforehand. The basic premise alone makes this an easy romantic comedy to jump into.
Where Can You Watch The Love Hypothesis?
The Love Hypothesis will stream exclusively on Prime Video beginning September 23, 2026.
The movie is scheduled to premiere in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
So if you've been waiting to see Olive and Adam make the jump from the page to the screen, mark September 23 on the calendar.
The experiment is almost ready to begin.
The Love Hypothesis Movie FAQ
When is The Love Hypothesis movie coming out?
The Love Hypothesis premieres September 23, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video.
Where can I watch The Love Hypothesis?
The movie will be available to stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Is The Love Hypothesis based on a book?
Yes. The movie is based on Ali Hazelwood's New York Times bestselling romance novel The Love Hypothesis.
Who plays Olive in The Love Hypothesis?
Lili Reinhart plays Olive, the Ph.D. candidate at the center of the story.
Who plays Adam Carlsen?
Tom Bateman plays Adam Carlsen, the professor who becomes involved in Olive's fake-dating arrangement.
What is The Love Hypothesis about?
The story follows Ph.D. candidate Olive, who impulsively kisses professor Adam Carlsen to convince her best friend that she's moved on from a previous crush. The situation develops into a fake relationship, but their carefully established boundaries become complicated when real feelings begin to develop.
Who directed The Love Hypothesis?
Claire Scanlon directed The Love Hypothesis. Sarah Rothschild wrote the screenplay.
Is The Love Hypothesis only on Prime Video?
Yes. Prime Video has announced that The Love Hypothesis will premiere exclusively on the streaming service.
