Nearly a year after "Heated Rivalry" first debuted on streaming, fans are buying movie tickets to relive the steamy romance between hockey superstars Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie. The limited theatrical release has generated $1.4 million from 945 theaters since opening on Nov. 6, according to distributor Regal Entertainment.
The engagement is scheduled to run through Nov. 30 and offers moviegoers a choice of three paired screenings: episodes 1 and 2, "Rookies" and "Olympians"; episodes 3 and 4, "Hunter" and "Rose"; and episodes 5 and 6, "I'll Believe in Anything" and "The Cottage." Tickets for each showtime cost $9.99, well below the average movie price of $12.87 for standard screenings tracked by research firm EntTelligence.
The haul is notable because the series is widely available to stream at home, and there are few points of comparison at the box office. When television shows such as Netflix's "Stranger Things" series finale or the Christian drama "The Chosen" have played on the big screen, they aired new, never-before-seen episodes rather than reruns.
Netflix did not report grosses for "Stranger Things," though its Season 5 finale was estimated to have earned a massive $25 million to $28 million around New Year's Eve. Even that is not a fair reference, since the supersized, two-hour episode was the much-anticipated conclusion of the streamer's biggest series of all time.
In any case, theatrical releases and rereleases of popular TV shows are all upside for cinema operators, who are enjoying the biggest year at the box office since the onset of the pandemic. Gen Z, the target demographic for shows like "Heated Rivalry," has been driving the movie theater resurgence.
"This could become a really interesting trend, not only as a way to bring fans together but also to keep popular series top of mind during gaps between seasons, when maintaining momentum can be a challenge," said Rentrak's head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. "We initially thought this might be something largely confined to the faith-based space, but clearly the potential extends to virtually any series with a passionate fan base."
He added, "Of course, not every television series is going to translate into a successful big-screen event, but for the right show with the right audience, movie theaters could become an exciting extension of the television experience rather than simply an alternative to it."
"Heated Rivalry," based on Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" book series, is gearing up for a second season. The Canadian-produced show was released in the U.S. on HBO Max in November 2025, though it did not become a word-of-mouth sensation until early 2026, when episodes reached an average viewership of more than 10 million and made instant stars out of Williams and Storrie.
"When a series connects with audiences the way 'Heated Rivalry' has, we look for ways to bring it to the big screen and give fans a reason to experience it together," Regal's senior VP of U.S. content Brooks LeBoeuf said ahead of the rerelease. "It's a chance to celebrate the story, its creators and its performances before Season 2 arrives in 2027."
