Originally published online in 2018 asHead over Feet, aStar Warsfan fiction work about the "Reylo"ship betweenRey andKylo Ren,[4][5] the main characters were renamed Olive and Adam (the latter afterAdam Driver) on the novel's physical publication, with all explicitStar Wars references cut, and the characters on the novel'scover illustration designed after Driver andDaisy Ridley.[6][7]
The Love Hypothesis follows the main character Olive as she pretends to date her professor, Adam, to convince her friend Anh that her dating life is going well. Olive and Adam try to convince everyone around them they are in love. While convincing everyone, they forget that their feelings are supposed to be fake.[3]
Olive Smith – A third-year biology PhD student atStanford University who researchespancreatic cancer, the disease her mother died from. She fakes a relationship with Dr. Adam Carlsen to convince Anh she is over her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. She is based onRey. Olive is 26 in the story.
Dr. Adam Carlsen – A young professor who is described by his students as harsh and hypercritical. The university froze his research funds because they are worried that he is thinking of leaving to a different university. Adam agreed to fake a relationship with Olive to make the science department believe he plans to stay at Stanford. He is based onBen Solo and named after his actor,Adam Driver. Adam is 34 in the story.
Anh Pham – Olive's best friend, pushes Olive to try new things with Adam without knowing their relationship is fake. Likes Jeremy, Olive's ex-boyfriend. She is based onRose Tico.
Malcolm – Olive's roommate, who ends up dating Dr. Rodriguez. He is based onFinn.
Dr. Tom Benton – An associate professor atHarvard University and Adam's friend. He offers Olive a spot at his lab when hearing about her research, but later threatens and sexually harasses Olive and steals her research. In the end, he is fired from Harvard.
Dr. Holden Rodriguez – Adam's friend, who ends up dating Malcolm. He is based onPoe Dameron.
Jeremy Langley – Olive's ex-boyfriend. He is based onArmitage Hux.
In October 2022, it was announced that afilm adaptation of the novel was in development from Bisous Pictures.[15][16][17] In July 2025, it was announced thatLili Reinhart andTom Bateman had been cast in the film.[18][19] Bateman is the real-life husband ofDaisy Ridley, the inspiration for the lead female character in the book, but will play the character inspired by, and named for Ridley's co-star in theStar Wars films,Adam Driver. In August 2025, it was announced thatRachel Marsh was cast as Anh Pham,Jaboukie Young-White was cast as Malcolm, Nicholas Duvernay was cast as Jeremy Langley, andArty Froushan was cast as Tom Benton.[20][21] The film will be directed byClaire Scanlon and the script will be written by Sarah Rothschild.[20][21]
^Oakley, Carly-Rae (June 8, 2023)."Interview with Author Ali Hazelwood".HeyitsCarlyRae (published September 19, 2022).Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. RetrievedNovember 26, 2024.
