Ali Hazelwood fan fiction adaptation leads to film release and sequel

Former neuroscientist Ali Hazelwood originally wrote her debut romance novel as a online fan-fiction story about Star Wars characters Rey and Kylo Ren, set in a university biology department. Martin Cid Magazine reported that the story was turned into the 2021 novel The Love Hypothesis, which became a long-running best-seller and popularized the STEM romance genre. [1][5][8]

The novel was adapted into a romantic comedy film produced by MRC, directed by Claire Scanlon, and written by Sarah Rothschild. The film stars Lili Reinhart as PhD student Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as professor Dr. Adam Carlsen, who engage in a fake relationship to solve issues with their university and friends. It was released on Prime Video on September 23, 2026, receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics. [4][7]

Born in Italy, Hazelwood lived in Japan and Germany before moving to the United States for her doctoral degree in neuroscience. She worked as a neuroscience professor for three years before leaving academia in 2022 to write full-time. She writes under a pseudonym, and her subsequent books include Love on the Brain, Love, Theoretically, and Bride. [1][5][8]

IMDb reported that Hazelwood will release a book sequel to The Love Hypothesis. As FTMQ Books reported earlier, Prime Video has confirmed that the sequel is in development. [4][10]