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A sea of women and a scattering of men packed into the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria Sunday night for a cinematic experience. Not to see a new movie, but to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the hit HBO Max-Crave
series “Heated Rivalry.”
Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling “Game Changers” books and adapted by Jacob Tierney, the queer hockey romance-turned global phenomenon follows the illicit and decades-spanning relationship between two rival hockey stars, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).
As fans eagerly await Season 2, which is currently in production, Season 1 was released in theaters, inviting audiences to watch the love story unfold on the big screen for the first time.
Some loyalists donned their best Boston Raiders or Montreal Metros T-shirts, others filled their special edition popcorn buckets and soda cups, but all erupted into raucous cheers while viewing the penultimate and final episodes of the first season. Variety spoke with a few of these “Heated Rivalry” enthusiasts to discuss the appeal of the theater experience and hear what makes the series so special to them.
“Look at them, they’re hot!” Crystal Naldi, 32, said gesturing to her popcorn bucket emblazoned with the show’s poster art. “No, I’m playing. I honestly wasn’t into the show at first, but my friends kept nagging at me to watch it. I really wanted to see this because I didn’t get to see ‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ on screen. I was like, ‘I know I’m gonna kick my own ass if I don’t go to the theater. I better fucking go.’”
“I’m down to financially support the show’s success, and also both Hudson and Connor’s success as actors,” Aubrie Shadday, 29, said.
“Seeing it on the big screen with people is so fun, and having the live reaction because everyone watched it essentially by themselves, so hearing everyone giggle or laugh or sniffle here and there is really cool,” Yesenia Vargas, 28, added.
Fans admitted that they had already seen the series several times, but the silver screen revealed or amplified details they glossed over during their first viewing.
“I’m getting goose bumps over scenes I’ve seen 30 times,” Anna, 44, said. “You can hear things you didn’t hear before, like Ilya’s necklace during certain scenes and see Hudson’s watery eyeballs this big.”
“Something about seeing it on the big screen is just insane,” Sam, 34, chimed in. “I do think this is how I need to watch everything I like a lot.”
Fans also rejoiced over Williams and Storrie’s undeniable connection, attributing their magnetism to the show’s widespread appeal.
“I’ve never seen that seemingly realistic chemistry before, and now I feel like I can’t watch anything else, romance-wise, because I’m like ‘this is fake,’” Shadday said. “I don’t know how they did it. They’re very talented, but it just hits. I like romance in general, but I feel like this hits a lot more than other shows just because their chemistry is so realistic.”
“It made me hopeful for romance,” Taylor Benson, 37, said.
“I don’t think we’ve seen a true love story like this, a queer love story, the diversity of it is really cool,” Vargas said.
“It’s just the greatest love story ever told,” Anna said. “A lot of people make lowbrow jokes like ‘Oh, gay and sexy.’ It’s so much more than that. It’s seeing these two people fall in love and their relationship develop, and the chemistry is unlike chemistry I’ve seen between two actors.”
“I’m pretty sure they invented chemistry,” Sam added. “I’m positive that it didn’t exist before them.”
Another big draw for fans was hearing the powerful soundtrack and pulsing score boom through the theater’s speakers.
“I think that Jacob did a really great job. He made it a beautiful show, and I used to work in post-production music and the music is amazing,” Benson said.
“I also really like the score and the music,” Vargas said. “I feel like I always watch things and always pay attention to what songs or how the score sounds, and seeing that obviously now on a bigger screen with an amazing sound system helps tell the story.”
Many of these superfans also retroactively read the books. Since they already know the plot of Season 2, they’re mostly looking forward to seeing their favorite couple back in love.
“I’m just looking forward to the fact that it’s coming,” Benson said.
“Them just being together as a united front, even though it’s still in secret, is definitely what I’m looking forward to,” Naldi said.
“I’m excited to see Connor and Hudson get even more into the thick of it emotionally,” Shadday said, with Anna adding “Just the continuation of their love story and being able to see queer joy continue to be explored and to be able to see them living their truth.”
