The romantic comedy “Love Hypothesis” premiered on Amazon Prime on Sept. 23, featuring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman as romantic interests who get caught in a fake-dating-turned-real-love trope. On the surface, there is no obvious connection to George Lucas’ franchise, but the story’s origin is actually deeply rooted in a galaxy far, far away. Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 source novel of the same name was originally written as a fan fiction about the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy’s Kylo Ren and Rey, titled “Head Over Feet.” She ultimately transformed her 2018 narrative into a New York Times bestselling novel years later, removing the most obvious “Star Wars” references.
But those familiar with the story’s source material will be able to spot plenty of Jedi-adjacent references throughout the romantic comedy. Claire Scanlon, the film’s director, took a break from filming her next project, the Netflix comedy series “I Suck at Girls,” to break down the “Star Wars” references featured in “Love Hypothesis.” She reveals she wasn’t initially aware the plot was based on a fanfiction between Kylo and Rey, let alone the novel’s popularity on BookTok, a TikTok community that shares reading recommendations with each other. In real life, the actor is married to Daisy Ridley, who originated the role of Rey, though Scanlon confirms this connection didn’t influence his casting.
Fans may have also picked up on the film’s opening song, “Mess It Up” by Gracie Abrams, whose father, J.J. Abrams, directed two films in the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy. But it wasn’t Scanlon who came up with this subtle nod, which she reveals was flagged by observant fans on social media.
Below, Scanlon breaks down the biggest nod to “Star Wars” in “Love Hypothesis,” and debunks some of the speculated references circulating online. Bateman’s character, Adam, is a clear reference to Kylo Ren, as well as nods from his intimidating demeanor to his telling nickname, “Dr. Evil.” Scanlon confirms that Adam also channels the character through his all-black wardrobe, which is mirrored by his minimally decorated office that features an almost entirely black color scheme.
Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits. Although these are all colors associated with different lightsabers, that choice was unintentional, Scanlon says. Some eagle-eyed fans also noted she frequently wears an all-red look, which is the color associated with Rey in “The Rise of Skywalker,” though Scanlon says that was just a coincidence.
I got to tell Lili all these!” While this isn’t a reference to Kylo Ren, Scanlon also points out that as Adam spends more time with Olive, his color palette begins to soften from black to navy blue. The texture of his clothes also evolves from cold, hard fabrics to cashmere and softer clothes, representing Olive’s positive impact on him. Yes, Scanlon confirms the character Adam Carlsen is, in fact, named after Adam Driver, who originated the role of Kylo Ren.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
