Tom Bateman Confirms Daisy Ridley’s Involvement in ‘The Love Hypothesis’ Film Adaptation

Tom Bateman has confirmed that his wife, Daisy Ridley, is officially attached to the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the bestselling romance novel The Love Hypothesis. Bateman recently shared an update on his wife’s upcoming projects, letting slip that Ridley has been hard at work on the hotly anticipated movie adaptation.

Tom Bateman has confirmed that his wife, Daisy Ridley, is officially attached to star in and produce the upcoming film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance novel, The Love Hypothesis. In a recent interview, Bateman publicly confirmed Ridley’s involvement, admitting she would play a dual role on the project.

Tom Bateman confirmed the long-rumored reports that Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley is attached to The Love Hypothesis during a recent interview, opening up about her attachment to the project. Bateman said Ridley’s personal connection to the source material and her commitment to getting the story to the screen were key parts of the process.

Bateman may not have revealed specific production details, but his statements are the closest confirmation from someone close to Ridley that she was involved. Ridley has been cast to star as the female lead, Olive Smith, and is also attached to produce the film through her production company, Picrow.

Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis was released in September 2021 and was a commercial success, appearing on The New York Times bestseller list for several weeks.

The novel follows Olive Smith, a third-year PhD candidate in biology at Stanford University, who accidentally kisses a stranger to convince her best friend that she’s gotten over a breakup. The stranger is Dr. Adam Carlsen, a notoriously grumpy and intimidating young professor. To keep up the pretense, Olive and Adam become fake-dating partners, which eventually leads to a real romance.

Because of its popularity on “BookTok” and among romance readers, the film adaptation became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand projects.

Ridley’s involvement in The Love Hypothesis marks a major step in her career transition from blockbuster franchises to producing and starring in character-driven projects. Through Picrow, the company she co-founded, Ridley has been working on content that centers female-led narratives.

Ridley will be a driving force in the adaptation, taking on both a starring and producing role in The Love Hypothesis and ensuring the film meets the tone and expectations of the novel’s devoted following.

The production studio has remained silent on casting details, but industry trade publications previously reported Ridley’s involvement in the project. Bateman’s recent public confirmation follows those industry reports, which upgraded Ridley’s involvement from ‘rumored’ to ‘officially acknowledged.’

The production companies behind the adaptation have said that casting the difficult male lead, Dr Adam Carlsen, remains a priority before principal photography can begin.

Given the novel’s massive, highly engaged readership, the Love Hypothesis adaptation is a high-stakes project. Rom-com adaptations are often hotbeds of fan scrutiny, especially around casting and script fidelity.

For Daisy Ridley, it’s a tactical move. Ridley has been choosy about her acting roles since she skyrocketed to fame worldwide as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She could use her worldwide fame to produce and star in a big-screen romance adaptation while building her producing credentials in the hugely profitable romantic comedy genre.

The next immediate steps in the film adaptation of The Love Hypothesis are to finalize the screenplay and cast the male lead, Dr. Adam Carlsen. The production team is expected to announce the director and the actor who will play Adam in the coming months. Once the core cast is in place, the production will set a start date.