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.”
\n\nBased 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).
\n\nAs 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.
\n\nSome 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.
\n\n“Look at them, they’re hot!” Crystal Naldi, 32, said gesturing to her popcorn bucket emblazoned with the show’s poster art.
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/