Tom Bateman reveals reaction to discovering 'The Love Hypothesis' began as Reylo fan fiction

Tom Bateman has admitted that he did not realise The Love Hypothesis, the new film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel, originated as Reylo fan fiction based on his wife's Star Wars character.

Bateman, who is married to Daisy Ridley, best known for playing Rey in the sequel trilogy, discovered the connection only after accepting the role.

In an interview with ScreenRant during the Toronto International Film Festival, Bateman explained, “I wasn’t aware of it, and neither was Dais, of this connection. I was told it after I was offered the job. They said, ‘By the way, this is loosely where the inspiration came from,’ and I thought that meant it was what inspired Ali Hazelwood to start writing, because the book is obviously so different.”

He added that he only fully understood the level of fan enthusiasm after the cast announcement, “It wasn’t until the announcement of the cast that I became fully aware of how much love there is from the fans out there. It just made me very excited to be part of it.”

Bateman plays Dr Adam Carlsen opposite Lil Reinhart’s Olive Smith in the romantic comedy, which follows a fake relationship between a PhD candidate and a professor. Although the project wrapped filming just two weeks ago, a release date has yet to be announced.

In the meantime, Bateman is busy promoting his latest project, Hedda, a bold reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Tessa Thompson.

The film premiered at TIFF on September 7, 2025 and is scheduled for US theatrical release on October 22, followed by streaming on Prime Video