Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Buckle up Heated Rivalry fans, we’re heading back to the cottage — though this time, the date is actually at a movie theatre.
Cineplex says it will screen all six episodes of the hit queer romance across the country in early November — part of a broader deal that will also put Heated Rivalry on the big screen in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
Canadian audiences can watch the entire first season in marathon screenings on Nov. 8, or two episodes together on Nov. 6, 10 and 11.
Participating theatres will give fans the chance to “reheat” the Canadian-made Crave/HBO show — their slang for rewatching an episode or the season. Details are on Cineplex’s website.
In the U.S., screenings of all six episodes are planned in more than 650 theatres, starting Nov. 6.
Based on Rachel Reid’s novel, Heated Rivalry follows opposing hockey stars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) whose on-ice competition unfolds alongside a private relationship.
Mixed reactions
Fans shared their excitement, and reservations, about the screenings on social media.
It’s “a dream come true,” one X user wrote, asking why fans don’t get “more opportunities to experience their favorite streaming shows on a massive cinema screen.”
Another wrote that they’re “taking the afternoon off for the cottage episodes. Big screen Hollanov” — the couple-y name for the two characters — “is going to ruin me in the best way.”
X user @solaledz is excited for Heated Rivalry’s big-screen run. (solaledz/X)
Others complained about the price of tickets. “Paying for a movie ticket to watch two TV episodes is a bold ask,” said one X user.
Another grumbled that reselling a TV show as a movie ticket is: “Better upsell than anything I’ve seen at a dealership.”
X user @JustinW44998468 questions charging money for a TV show. (JustinW44998468/X)
The screenings also offer a refresher ahead of the second season, planned for spring 2027 though an exact premiere date has not been announced.
Series creator Jacob Tierney also recent published I’ll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry, a behind-the-scenes book featuring annotated scripts and material about the show’s production.
