Latest news with #Bateman
Elle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
All About Daisy Ridley's Husband, Tom Bateman
Actress Daisy Ridley is a well-known figure in the Star Wars universe, playing the powerful Rey, first introduced in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In a 2021 interview with Tatler, Ridley explained that the role changed how she approaches sharing her private and romantic life, saying, 'When I signed on to Star Wars, there was nothing in my contract that said, 'Your life will be talked about.'' 'It got to the point where I realized so much of my life was out there,' she continued. 'I thought it would be nice to have something that's for me, that isn't for everybody else. I just thought I would keep that separate.' Ridley has stuck to her decision, keeping her relationship with husband Tom Bateman very private. But Bateman is an actor as well, and in July 2025 he was cast in the film adaptation of The Love Hypothesis. Why is this role so relevant to Ridley? It's based on former Star Wars fan fiction by Ali Hazelwood. Her original story published on Ao3 was about Rey and her antagonist/ally, Kylo Ren, played in The Force Awakens by Adam Driver. Driver and Ridley had chemistry on screen and many fans 'shipped' them as a romantic couple. Bateman has been cast as Adam Carlsen, originally based on Driver's character. The story has changed significantly since its first online publication and is now set in the world of a university. In the story, Professor Carlsen embarks on a fake relationship with PhD candidate Olive Smith, to be played by Lili Reinhart. Reinhart shared a TikTok about the casting notice in which she and Bateman are shaking hands as they agree on their phony love story (that might become real). Fans are now even more curious about Bateman and his relationship with Ridley. Here's everything to know so far. Bateman is a British actor raised in Jericho, a suburb of Oxford. Both his parents were teachers and he has thirteen siblings and half-siblings, including a fraternal twin brother named Merlin, per his IMDB bio. Of his family, he told Above the Line in 2023, 'It's funny because people think it's so crazy, but obviously whatever you grow up with is the norm. It doesn't matter what extreme, bizarre circumstances you might grow up in; it's normal for you. It's when you sort of start stepping out into the world and people go, 'Wait, you are one of 13.' You go, 'Oh, I suppose that is a bit different.'' He studied at Cherwell School then joined the National Youth Theatre. He went on to study theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and was awarded the Leverhulme Scholarship. He has an extensive theater resume and was a member of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. He told Above the Line of LAMDA, 'It was a really cool school. I mean, there are so many amazing drama schools in the U.K. I could only afford to apply to a couple of them, and LAMDA was one of them. I was so lucky to get in. It's an amazing school.' He also has a significant list of credits in film and television, including Peacock's Based on a True Story, Beecham House, and Vanity Fair. Both starred in Kenneth Branagh's 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, according to People. It is not clear when they started dating. Rumors of their relationship and engagement followed them for years before Ridley admitted in a January 2023 interview with Rolling Stone that they were officially married. In a 2019 interview with Marie Claire, Ridley was asked about their rumored engagement, saying only, 'It's a really nice ring that I wear.' 'The thing Is, I've never talked about my personal life, so I won't talk about it now,' she added. 'I'm so aware of how much information about my life is out there, so if there's one thing I don't want to talk about.' The couple has worked together since MOTOE on their 2024 film, Magpie. During the premiere at the SXSW festival, Bateman told CBR that Ridley is one of his 'favorite actors.' 'Being able to write to what I know her strengths are was so rewarding,' he said. 'I could be really daring and bold and write a whole scene with no dialogue and just her character's thoughts. Sam [Yates] our director, he agreed. He said 'Man you can just stick a camera on Daisy and she's got it going and she can hold that.'' 'It was super, super rewarding,' he added. Magpie is actually a thriller about a collapsing marriage, but during a press event, Ridley shared, 'It's funny, because people tell me and Tom that we're the happiest married people they know.' Per the Daily Mail, Ridley also told Radio Times, 'I found that process wonderful because our tastes align on almost everything. I think he's a brilliant writer, and we are so clear about what it is that we wanted to make. And we achieved that.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Tom Bateman's 'secret marriage' to Daisy Ridley as he lands 'coincidental' rom-com role
Tom Bateman is set to star in The Love Hypothesis opposite Lili Reinhart, reimagining the bestselling romance novel written by Ali Hazelwood Tom Bateman is set to sizzle on screen in The Love Hypothesis, joining forces with Lili Reinhart to bring Ali Hazelwood's bestselling romance novel to life for Amazon MGM. He's stepping into the shoes of Adam Carlsen, a professor entangled in a fauxmance with PhD candidate Olive Smith (portrayed by Reinhart), all to convince her friends she's not lacking in the love department. The 2021 book that soared up the New York Times' bestseller list began its journey as Star Wars fanfiction before Hazelwood gave it a scientific makeover and turned it into the steamy rom-com we know today. In an intriguing twist of fate - or perhaps a stroke of casting brilliance - Bateman happens to be the other half of Daisy Ridley, who played Rey, the character that sparked the original fanfic alongside her frenemy Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). As the internet buzzes with excitement over Bateman's casting, it's worth delving into his off-screen romance with Ridley, his co-star from The Love Hypothesis, reports the Express. The pair first crossed paths on the set of The Murder on the Orient Express back in 2017, but they've been rather tight-lipped about their relationship. Despite their discretion, film producer Judy Hofflund couldn't help but drop hints about their chemistry during the movie's premiere, saying: "Something kinda happened with Tom and Daisy right?" And then playfully adding, "That's public news. I should keep my mouth shut. Oh well." They both kept mum about their personal lives until whispers emerged in February 2019 that they had co-signed a lease for a flat in Primrose Hill, London. Later that year, Ridley was seen sporting what appeared to be an engagement ring but rebuffed any relationship talk with Bateman, even dismissing Marie Curie's probe about the ring's significance. At last, in January 2023, Ridley acknowledged her nuptials during a chat with Rolling Stone, though she kept the finer details under wraps. Despite their preference for privacy, the celebrated duo isn't shy about showcasing their union in their professional endeavours. Their recent joint effort is the 2024 suspense film Magpie, penned and produced by Bateman, with Sam Yates at the helm, inspired by a story idea from Ridley herself. The plot centres on a marriage teetering on the edge as their daughter, an actress, lands a role opposite a famed actor. Ridley steps into the shoes of Anette, whose spouse Ben (Shazad Latif) becomes smitten with his daughter's colleague. The Star Wars lead has been keen to clarify that this gritty thriller doesn't mirror her real-life romance with Bateman. In a conversation with Ralphie Aversa from USA Today, she clarified: "I feel like I must assure people that this is not a reflection of our marriage. "I think you have to be in a very good marriage in order to make a film about a not very good marriage." Ridley also shared insights into the creative journey, labelling it as "revealing" and an "amazing endeavour". Fans have drawn comparisons between the thriller and Gone Girl, praising Ridley for one of her finest performances, although it's yet to hit UK screens. Will there be another collaboration between Ridley and Bateman? Stay tuned. The Love Hypothesis does not yet have a release date.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Daisy Ridley reacts to husband Tom Bateman's casting in Love Hypothesis fanfiction movie based on her Star Wars role
Daisy Ridley has shared her surprise and amusement over her husband Tom Bateman's recent casting in The Love Hypothesis, a film adaptation based on a novel that originally started as Star Wars fan fiction. The twist? The original story was inspired by Ridley's own Star Wars character, Rey, and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. Ridley reacted with a playful Instagram Story a screenshot of an article about Bateman's casting. Fans were quick to call it a 'full circle moment,' noting the irony of Bateman now playing a character inspired by Ridley's on-screen romance with Driver. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): 'Tom Bateman playing a Kylo Ren-coded character written in a Reylo fanfic is something out of a multiverse.' Interestingly, the film's origin adds another layer of irony. The novel The Love Hypothesis was initially written as a Reylo fanfic on Archive of Our Own before author Ali Hazelwood reworked it into an original romance novel, changing the names but keeping the characters' essence. Now, with a major film adaptation in the works, the story is coming full circle in Hollywood. Fans online have been celebrating the moment. 'The Reylo cinematic universe is stronger than ever,' joked one Reddit user, while another added, 'Imagine explaining this to someone who's never been on Tumblr.' Some joked that having Bateman in the role is nearly as meta as if Adam Driver himself had taken the part. Ridley and Bateman, who met while filming Murder on the Orient Express in 2017, quietly tied the knot in 2023. This unexpected connection between their careers has now sparked excitement and nostalgia among Star Wars and romance fans alike.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Tom Bateman cast as male lead in 'The Love Hypothesis' movie opposite Lili Reinhart
Tom Bateman has been cast as the male lead in The Love Hypothesis, the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood's best-selling romance novel. The casting has caught attention for a surprising real-life link to the book's fanfiction origins: Bateman is married to Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, the original inspiration behind the female protagonist. The book began as a Star Wars fanfiction titled Head Over Feet, which centred on the Reylo pairing—Ridley's Rey and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. Published in 2018 on Archive of Our Own, the story was later reworked into a standalone romance. Hazelwood confirmed Adam Carlsen, the male lead Bateman will play, was named in homage to Adam Driver. Nods to the book's origins came fast after Bateman's casting. Amazon MGM posted, 'Hypothesis: Tom Bateman is the perfect Adam Carlsen,' while fans lit up X with commentary linking the real-life couple to their fictional counterparts. One post read, 'Fanfiction version of Daisy Ridley's space husband being her real-life husband.' Bateman will star opposite Lili Reinhart, who plays Olive Smith, a PhD candidate who enters a fake dating scenario with Carlsen. The couple's chemistry mirrors that of Rey and Kylo's fraught alliance in The Rise of Skywalker. Bateman and Ridley met in 2017 during filming of Murder on the Orient Express. Their off-screen connection now circles back to a fandom that's followed them for years—only this time, on a very different kind of screen.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Daisy Ridley's husband Tom Bateman cast as lead in 'The Love Hypothesis' adaptation
Tom Bateman's new gig is a coincidence of galactic proportions. Bateman, who is married to "Star Wars" actress Daisy Ridley, has been cast in the upcoming film "The Love Hypothesis," Amazon MGM Studios announced on social media July 17. The movie serves as an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling romance novel — and former "Star Wars" fanfiction — by Ali Hazelwood. "Hypothesis: Tom Bateman is the perfect Adam Carlsen," Amazon MGM Studios wrote alongside the casting announcement. Bateman is set to play Adam Carlsen, a professor who finds himself in a whirlwind fake relationship with PhD candidate Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) as Smith tries to convince her friend that her love life is going well. Eagle-eyed "Star Wars" fans will be quick to clock the irony of Bateman's involvement in the film, as Ridley's "Star Wars" character Rey (introduced in 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens") was a chief inspiration for the early stages of "The Love Hypothesis" novel. Bateman and Ridley met in 2017 while filming the crime drama remake "Murder on the Orient Express." What is the connection between 'The Love Hypothesis' and 'Star Wars'? Hazelwood's first incarnation of "The Love Hypothesis," titled "Head Over Feet," was published online in 2018 as a "Star Wars" fanfiction that centered on the relationship between Ridley's character Rey and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), which has been given the nickname "Reylo." In the original "Star Wars" universe, Rey and Kylo are enemies who later discover they share a powerful connection called a "force dyad," which inspires Kylo to come to Rey's aid in battle in the 2019 film "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." Hazelwood was discovered by her literary agent thanks to self-publishing the fanfiction on the content-sharing platform Archive of Our Own, aka A03, the author told Collider in a 2021 interview. "Head Over Feet" was subsequently reworked into a non-"Star Wars" story, although Adam Carlsen's name is a nod to Driver and his portrayal of Kylo. "Traditional publishing is getting more and more interested in fanfiction and in embracing it," Hazelwood told the outlet. "And maybe they're doing well because of money and marketing and stuff like that, but I'm just really happy that this is happening and that fanfiction is gaining legitimacy because it always had legitimacy." Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie, TV recommendations right in your inbox Fans praise 'genius' casting of Tom Bateman in 'The Love Hypothesis' movie Following the announcement of Bateman's "Love Hypothesis" casting, fans took to social media to share their shock and enthusiasm for the "Star Wars" connection. "Fanfiction version of (Daisy Ridley's) space husband being her real-life husband. Amazon MGM, I was not familiar with your game," @amber_amberson wrote on X. "Tom Bateman, who is actually Daisy Ridley's husband, starring in a book that was based off a Reylo fanfic of a film his wife is a part of?!?!?" @koredakota wrote. "YEAH, THEY ATE WITH THIS CASTING." More casting news: 'The Legend of Zelda' live-action movie finds its Link and Zelda "How do we explain to locals that Tom Bateman is married to Daisy Ridley, (who) plays Rey, the inspiration behind Olive and The Love Hypothesis fanfic," @enemieslovrs wrote. "Tom Bateman playing Adam in The Love Hypothesis movie, oh this is genius," @edenhowlsz wrote. "Whoever planned this needs a raise." "What if they create a random female character just so they could have Daisy in the movie," @agentdaisyskye jokingly suggested. "I won't be against it, and it'll also be so funny."
