This is a romantic comedy that may spark a lot of talk beyond the circles of gender initiates. For good reason, it has an amazing kinship with one of the most emblematic sagas of the big screen. Next year, it will be possible to see The Love Hypothesis, adapted from the eponymous novel published in 2021 at Berkley Books in the United States. In France, it was proposed in the Hauteville catalog in 2022. Since its release, it has sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide. A success that is first explained by the success of the works of the genre with readers as much as the community of faithful followers, which the author already enjoyed on platforms.
Like many novels, The Love Hypothesis was, first of all, fanfiction published on dedicated platforms. Under the title Head Over Feet, the work was inspired by the Star Wars saga, and more specifically by the relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey. If the trilogy of JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson has never crossed the milestone of romance, Ali Hazelwood has imagined a story between the characters Camped by Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley. Like many gender stories, she seizes personalities and names of illustrious protagonists to transport them to a different world. As an example, 50 Shades of Grey was inspired by the relationship between Edward and Bella in Twilight to transpose it into a context devoid of fantasy and evoking BDSM relationships.
Alchemy between Rey and Kylo
In this rereading of the trilogy, The Force Window, Rey Sanders is a doctoral student. She rubs shoulders with Dr Ben Soloren, a renowned professor and nicknamed the notorious imbecile by the rest of the department. While Rey is harassed by one of her colleagues, she kisses the first man who came to get her out of this bad situation. Except that it is Ben Solo, and he does not appreciate this gesture much. After explaining the situation to him, Rey manages to conclude a market. They will claim to be in a relationship. Fanfiction thus abandoned the context and the backdrop of Star Wars to focus on the dynamics between the characters.
But to be published, this fanfiction had to make some changes. The names of the characters have been abandoned as well as the too obvious references to the franchise held by Lucasfilm and Disney. It is a rather common practice in the field, since publishers cannot afford to use images of intellectual property held by giants of the cultural industry. In The Love Hypothesis, we therefore follow Olivia Smith, a third-year thesis student who does not believe in lasting relationships and who will embrace Professor Adam Carlsen to prove his theory. The rest of the novel adopts the same process of a false romantic relationship.
An involuntary wink?
In the adaptation of Claire Scanlon, the heroine will be embodied by Lili Reinhart, whom we have notably seen in Riverdale. The male character is played by Tom Bateman. An actor who, without knowing it, has been very linked to this project for a long time. Indeed, Tom Bateman is the husband of Daisy Ridley, the interpreter of Rey. Asked about this blessed chance, the actor explained to Screen. “I was not aware, and Daisy either … of this link. I was told after having offered me the post. They said: ‘By the way, it is vaguely from where the inspiration comes from’. But it was when I was announced that I was fully aware of the love that fans have for me. I was really delighted to be part of it.”
It remains to be seen now if promotion and marketing will focus on this relationship during the tour. The shooting has just ended, and the project is scheduled for release in 2026. The precise date has not been communicated. Regarding an Amazon MGM Studios production, we can expect it to be offered on Prime Video in France over the next year.
