While watching your favorite streaming series, have you ever wondered what the production would look like in a movie theater? It’s possible that some of you even have your own list of streaming series you’d like to see on a large screen surrounded by other fans.
If I were to choose two examples of streamers that I think would be truly wonderful to experience transferred to a full-fledged cinema, the shows would be the masterwork that is “The Sopranos” from HBO and the gorgeous-looking, black-and-white psychological thriller “Ripley” from Netflix.
In today’s helter-skelter world of studio mergers and executive musical chairs, it is very rare that a so-called “television” series that has only been streamed to subscribers receives a jolt of newfound attention in movie houses. Enter Regal Cinemas. The chain, which has been filling seats with special series that are dedicated to classic movies, including spy thrillers featuring James Bond and director Alfred Hitchcock’s popular films, has opted to be a part of the current promotional push for what is the most successful non-animated, non-HBO-produced streaming series in the history of HBO Max.
Just after Thanksgiving 2025, a small-budget, six-part series created in Canada about professional major league ice hockey players coming out of the gay closet debuted. Before you could explain the meaning of the phrase “hat trick, “Heated Rivalry” became a cultural phenomenon, swiftly in Canada and then, a few days later, almost as quickly in the United States. By the time 2026 was rolling along, the program earned stunning international success and prestige television honors, including a Peabody Award. Think of all the tens of thousands of TV shows that have been produced since the 1950s. “Heated Rivalry” is already on IMDb’s top 250 shows of all time list. The program is based on a series of novels by Canadian writer Rachel Reid. The show was shot mostly in the nearby Ontario cities of Hamilton and Guelph, with the latter’s Sleeman Centre arena being the setting for the hockey sequences.
The sports romance stars Francois Arnaud as Scott Hunter, Connor Storrie as Russian import Ilya Rozanov, and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, all of whom are closeted professional hockey players. Rozanov and Hollander develop a complex relationship off the ice. Episode 3 is an especially multi-layered story about public personality, the glare of the media spotlight, and the promise of monogamous love. In it, Hunter begins a relationship with a smoothie-bar barista named Christopher “Kip” Grady, played by Robbie Graham-Kuntz, who is an art major applying to grad schools; a “civilian,” so to speak. Plenty of other characters — family members, friends, and teammates — flow in and out of the intertwined storylines. It must be noted that the episodes have some of the best contemporary music I have ever heard in a streaming series. It matches what’s happening on-screen perfectly.
“Heated Rivalry” is not merely about the masculine, and often hyper-masculine, world of ice hockey as a metaphor for all sports and their athletes. It also examines and explores the deeply rooted emotional, psychological, and sexual needs of its four main characters. Strong episodes include the sixth, with Hollander’s parents figuring prominently, and the fifth, in which Rozanov delivers a 7-minute monologue in Russian about his state of mind to Hollander, who doesn’t speak Russian. The acting is remarkable from both men. Episode five also highlights Hunter and Grady, but what happens is the show’s must-not-reveal secret. Arnaud and Graham-Kuntz are superb here.
Regal Cinemas will be showing the entire series, with special extras, in theaters across the United States, including the Elmwood Center, the Transit Center, the Walden Galleria, and the Quaker Crossing in metro Buffalo-Niagara. This special event coincides with the release of the DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra discs. Also available is “I’ll Believe In Anything,” which is a new book featuring all 6 scripts with special annotation by Jacob Tierney, the show’s creator, writer, and director.
“Heated Rivalry” will play for a week starting November 6 with a special repertory schedule. Tickets for all showings are only $9.99. Episodes 1 and 2 will be shown together as one screening block. Episodes 3 and 4 comprise the second block, and episodes 5 and 6 are the third block. Each block requires separate entry and includes behind-the-scenes videos and filmed interviews with the creative team and cast members. I have noticed that locally, Regal has booked the shows in some of its smaller screening spaces. Those wishing to attend should monitor ticketing options available so that they aren’t disappointed.
Ultimately, “Heated Rivalry” is a metaphor not only for so-called “average” people living their best lives, but also for those who become ultra-famous making decisions that bring them joy rather than unhappiness. A second season has completed filming. In the introduction to the published scripts in “I’ll Believe In Anything” novelist Reid writes: “The ripple effect of this show – the way it positively impacted the lives of not only the cast and crew, but also of so many people beyond – has been my favorite part of the entire experience. It feels wonderful to be a part of something so positive.”