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“Star Wars” has featured iconic locations throughout the franchise, taking audiences to Tatooine, Naboo and now, a campus biology lab at Stanford University.
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.
“Elizabeth [Cantillon, the film’s producer] said, ‘This is based on a book about “Star Wars” fan fiction and it’s from BookTok,’” Scanlon says while laughing. “And I was like, ‘I understand none of the words you just said to me.’”
Perhaps the most overt nod to the galactic universe is the casting of Bateman, who plays the hard-shelled Kylo Ren-inspired Adam Carlsen. 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.
“Someone on TikTok or Instagram said, ‘They better use a Gracie Abrams song.’ And I was like, ‘Why would they want to use a Gracie Abrams song?’” she says, laughing about her initial cluelessness.
Below, Scanlon breaks down the biggest nod to “Star Wars” in “Love Hypothesis,” and debunks some of the speculated references circulating online.
Color Schemes
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.
“Lili just likes the color red,” she says while laughing. “This is nuts. 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.
Using the Name “Adam”
Yes, Scanlon confirms the character Adam Carlsen is, in fact, named after Adam Driver, who originated the role of Kylo Ren. But the director also has a question for Hazelwood about some other characters.
“I know Ali named Adam after Adam Driver, but did she name Tom Benton after Tom Bateman? The bad guy?” she asks, laughing. “Was she trying to push them apart? Was it just a coincidence? Or was she hating on Tom for being with Daisy and wanted Daisy and Adam Driver to be together?
“Star Wars” Soundtrack
Several moments throughout the film feature John Williams’ “Star Wars” themes, further emphasizing the parallels. “Star Wars” composer John Williams’ theme for Kylo Ren plays when Adam enters the coffee shop with Olive, causing the customers to freeze in fear.
The fallen Jedi’s theme is used again near the end of the film when Adam goes to confront his colleague Tom. The director also points out that this scene was filmed from a low angle as Adam menacingly walks down an empty hallway, visually mirroring several shots of Kylo in the “Star Wars” films.
Viewers also pointed out that a sample of “Rey’s Theme” was used when Olive tells her friends details of her relationship with Adam after they find the couple in the coffee shop. Scanlon says she doesn’t know if this was intentional, but it could’ve been slipped in from the music team.
“This is fun,” Scanlon says before breaking down the next reference. “This is like a game!”
Olive’s Hairstyle
Olive frequently wears her hair in a high bun, which Scanlon confirms is a nod to Rey’s signature hairstyle of three buns on top of her head.
Adam Carrying Olive
One of the moments when the dynamic between Kylo and Rey shifted in the “Star Wars” films came when Kylo carried an injured Rey onto his ship, hinting at his romantic feelings for her. A similar moment occurs in “The Love Hypothesis” when Adam carries Olive after her feet begin to hurt following their sushi date.
Although the scene mirrors the Kylo and Ren dynamic of alluding to the eventual shift in their relationship, Scanlon isn’t certain that choice was intentional. As far as she knows, it wasn’t a designated reference, but screenwriter Sarah Rothschild may have slyly incorporated the moment.
Adam’s Speech About Being Evil
During their date at the sushi restaurant, Adam opens up to Olive about how he never intended to be evil. He shared that his mentor was a sadist who had powerful friends in high places, very similar to Kylo Ren’s corruption after being mentored by Supreme Leader Snoke. This scene was directly taken from the book, Scanlon says, so it was likely a reference created by Hazelwood.
In that same scene, Adam also jokingly calls Olive a rebel, which could be a nod to Rey’s allegiance to the Resistance. Scanlon isn’t certain if that’s an intentional reference, noting this may also have been a choice by Rothschild.
Watch “The Love Hypothesis” trailer below.
