Screenings of all episodes of the award-winning Crave original series Heated Rivalry kicks off November 6 at Cineplex cinemas in Canada, Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas in the UK and Regal cinemas in the USA. Australia and New Zealand cinemas to follow December 5. The only Cineplex location in Ontario screening the marathon is Galaxy Cinemas in Barrie. The limited theatrical engagement with all episodes of the first season of Heated Rivalry will be shown in special marathon screenings on select dates as part of a worldwide celebration of the one-year anniversary of Heated Rivalry. “Heated Rivalry is a global phenomenon creating a rush of social media and press activity wherever it lands,” said Hana Palmer, executive director of global distribution and partnerships at Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media Company. “We’re very excited to give audiences the opportunity to watch the drama unfold on big screens in North America, the UK, Australia & New Zealand,” she said. Created by award-winning writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney, and based on the best-selling book series ‘Game Changers’ by Rachel Reid, the six-episode, one-hour romantic drama tells the story of rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Wiliams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). Heated Rivalry is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment. In the film, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, the pair chase glory on the ice while struggling to navigate their feelings off it. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there is room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile and as powerful as real love. Earlier this year the highly successful series dominated the Canadian Screen Awards and set a new all-time award record with 16 wins including top prizes – Best Drama Series, Best Lead Performer for Hudson Williams, Best Directing for a Drama Series, and Best Writing for a Drama Series. Heated Rivalry is Crave’s number one series debut on record, with Season 1 also achieving the #1 spot on HBO Max in the USA and Australia, Sky and NOW in the UK and NEON (Sky New Zealand). Season 2 is due to premiere on Crave, HBO Max USA and Australia, Sky and NOW in the UK and NEON (Sky New Zealand) in 2027. The series is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company, and is available in more than 130 countries around the world. WITH FILES BY SPHERE ABACUS
