A Steamy Love Hypothesis Scene Filmed In Front Of A Window

Late-night McDonald’s, escape rooms... these are just some of the tools that bonded the cast of The Love Hypothesis, streaming on Prime Video Sept. 23.

During a Sept. 17 Q&A moderated by Bustle’s Editor-in-Chief, Charlotte Owen, at the New York Public Library, castmates Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Rachel Marsh, Nicholas Duvernay, and Jaboukie Young-White opened up about making the highly anticipated rom-com — including its steamiest scene.

The Love Hypothesis, based on Ali Hazelwood’s hit novel of the same name, follows the fake relationship between Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith and professor Adam “Dr. Evil” Carlsen.

Readers know that their pretend relationship takes on a very real, physical level during an out-of-town academic conference. While Olive and Adam’s first time is beloved by fans, Reinhart and Bateman revealed they approached it with the same care they gave to every moment along the way.

“I don’t think we looked at it like, Oh, the sex scene! For me, I think we were talking about these two people who have so many barriers and things in between them, and not being truthful and honest with themselves and each other, to finally have the moment,” Bateman said. “The relationship’s all for show, right? And finally, they’re alone together. The door is closed, there’s nobody else — it’s just the two of them.”

Well... maybe not just the two of them. As Reinhart noted later, “We were shooting, weirdly, in front of an open window, which was sort of alarming. We were making sure no one was, well... the passersby on the street probably got a free show that night.”

Those accidental early viewers got a peek at a pivotal milestone for Olive and Adam. “We actually talked a lot about the moment leading up to it — the first time he chooses to reach out and touch her, the first time they actually choose to kiss with no audience in front of them,” Bateman said.

The stars worked with director Claire Scanlon and the film’s intimacy coordinator to get the scene just right. They filmed that part until 4 a.m. — and fueled up with McDonald’s, Reinhart shared.

McDonald’s wasn’t the only thing that brought The Love Hypothesis together: The group also found time to do an escape room together during production. “That was my first escape room ever,” Young-White admitted. “I didn’t know what the f*ck was going on.” (Reinhart, on the other hand, was “really good at it,” Marsh said.)

“That’s because my boyfriend is obsessed with them,” Reinhart said, referring to her real-life partner, Jack Martin — “and made Nicholas do it when they were filming Not Suitable for Work.”

“It’s his love language,” Duvernay agreed.