The Love Hypothesis is based on Ali Hazelwood’s book of the same name that originated as Star Wars Rey and Kylo Ren fan fiction, but that was news to its star Tom Bateman, who happens to be married to Daisy Ridley, a.k.a. Rey herself.

The movie tells the story of a PhD candidate and professor who fall in love while performing a fake romance in the name of science. Bateman plays Dr. Adam Carlsen, the professor who winds up falling for Olive Smith, played by Lil Reinhart.

In conversation with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan while promoting his new film Hedda at the Toronto International Film Festival, Bateman shared his initial reaction to discovering he had stumbled into the world of Reylo (Rey + Kylo Ren) fan fiction. Here’s what he had to say:

ScreenRant: I’m just curious how this came to be.

Tom Bateman: Do you know what … I wasn’t aware of it, and neither was Dais, of this connection. I was told it after I was offered the job. They said, “By the way, this is loosely where the inspiration came from, and I thought that meant that that was what inspired Ali Hazelwood to start writing, because the book is obviously so different from anything.

But it wasn’t until the announcement of the cast that I became fully aware of how much love there is from the fans out there. It just made me very excited to be part of it.

ScreenRant: It looks like you guys are having a blast.

Tom Bateman: It was. It was super fun and we just wrapped here about two weeks ago. It was very, very fun.

What Tom Bateman’s Casting Means For The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis may not look on the surface like a Star Wars-inspired story, but Tom Bateman’s casting is a treat for fans of the source material’s source material. His connection to Daisy Ridley means that, even if in a small, roundabout way, the original vision from which The Love Hypothesis was created is being realized.

Of course, there is no Rey and Kylo Ren romance in this movie, but Bateman more than likely drew on his own experiences when bringing the romantic relationship in The Love Hypothesis to life. In that way, the actor behind Rey almost definitely helped shape Bateman’s performance.

Our Take On The Love Hypothesis’ Casting Coincidence

The coincidental casting choice of Tom Bateman in The Love Hypothesis may actually end up helping the movie. The Love Hypothesis doesn’t present itself as based on Star Wars fanfiction, so that hidden aspect may draw in a different segment of audience members who otherwise wouldn’t have made the effort to see it.

And, as Bateman suggested, the Reylo love is strong with sections of the Star Wars fandom. This may or may not be enough to make a dent in the movie’s success, but it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise. Fifty Shades of Grey, for example, did quite well at the theaters, undoubtedly piquing the interest of plenty of Twilight fans.

Either way, Bateman’s casting in The Love Hypothesis will likely be the closest thing to a live-action realization of the Reylo romance hopefuls will get… unless Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver themselves are cast in a sequel or something wild happens in Rey’s next Star Wars film.