Tom Bateman is about to become a very familiar name to anyone who has spent far too much time on BookTok, and frankly, we are not complaining. The British actor is stepping into the role of Adam Carlsen in The Love Hypothesis, and the official trailer has finally given us a proper look at the tall, grumpy, ruggedly handsome professor readers have been waiting to meet.
The adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance arrives September 23, bringing one of BookTok’s favorite STEM romances from the page to the screen.
And yes, Bateman looks the part.
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From Fan Fiction to Film
One of the most entertaining pieces of The Love Hypothesis history is that the story originally began as Star Wars fan fiction centered on Rey and Kylo Ren, played on screen by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. Which makes Bateman’s casting particularly adorable because Ridley happens to be his wife.
The pair met while working on Murder on the Orient Express, began dating in 2017, and married in 2023. They also previously collaborated professionally on Magpie, which Bateman co-wrote and produced. So, while Bateman is now playing Hazelwood’s famously intimidating academic heartthrob, his leading lady at home is literally the actress who played Rey.
Hollywood really does love a plot twist.
The Man Behind the Grump
Bateman studied drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before beginning his professional acting career in 2011 with Much Ado About Nothing. Since then, he has built an impressively varied résumé, appearing in projects including Death on the Nile, Hedda, Da Vinci’s Demons, Jekyll and Hyde, Based on a True Story, and Vanity Fair.
But don’t expect Bateman to spend his days obsessively watching himself on screen.
He has previously explained that he prefers not to approach acting from an outwardly appearance-focused perspective, because scrutinizing every facial feature can become a distraction from the character.
Honestly, probably for the best. Someone has to remain blissfully unaware that they’re ridiculously handsome.
But before becoming BookTok’s latest fantasy professor, Bateman shared a steamy same-sex kiss with Chris Messina in Based on a True Story, proving Adam Carlsen isn’t our first reason to keep our eyes on him.
Chris Messina & Tom Bateman in ‘Based on a True Story’ (2023) pic.twitter.com/dsEgsRCOdQ
— mikey (@buckIeydiaz) June 9, 2023
BookTok Has Entered the Chat
Bateman has also admitted that filming The Love Hypothesis came with an unexpected learning curve, particularly when it came to social media. He does not maintain social media accounts himself, but that did not stop co-star Lili Reinhart from pulling him into TikTok videos during production.
Talking to Schon Magazine, Bateman recalled being dragged into making them while joking that he repeatedly wondered what they were doing.
@lilireinhart
But the experience also gave him a glimpse of just how fiercely readers love the source material.
He has described feeling overwhelmed by the enthusiasm surrounding the adaptation, saying that making the movie often felt like creating something specifically for fans who already had a deep connection with the story.
Grumpy Professor, Happy Life
Away from the cameras, Bateman is reportedly a serious foodie with a particular love for Italian cuisine, while keeping much of his personal life away from the social media circus.
That privacy may become increasingly difficult once The Love Hypothesis arrives.
@lilireinhart Tom doesn’t have TikTok, what trends should I confuse him with? #thelovehypothesis
Because between the beloved source material, the spicy romance, the STEM setting, and one extremely attractive new professor, Tom Bateman is about to become considerably harder to ignore.
Adam Carlsen may be grumpy.
BookTok, however, is going to be anything but.