The hockey romance that took over social feeds last fall is about to take over the big screen. Heated Rivalry, the Crave original series that became a breakout hit on HBO Max, will return to audiences in a new way next month, with its entire first season screening in movie theaters to mark the show’s first anniversary.

Here is everything we know so far, based on reporting from the Los Angeles Times and Variety.

When and where

Distributor Sphere Abacus announced Thursday that Season 1 of Heated Rivalry will screen from November 6 to November 30 in more than 650 theaters. The run covers the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

In the US, the screenings include more than 275 Regal theaters plus around 375 other locations, among them AMC and Cinemark sites. Canadian fans will find screenings at Cineplex theaters.

How the screenings work

Rather than a single marathon, the season is split into three sets of paired episodes:

  • Episodes 1 and 2
  • Episodes 3 and 4
  • Episodes 5 and 6

Tickets cost $9.99 per screening, so fans can pick a single pairing or work their way through the whole season over several visits. Advance tickets are already on sale at Regal.

Extras for superfans

Regal showings will include filmed greetings from the cast and from creator, writer and director Jacob Tierney. Participating theaters will also offer themed cocktails for a limited time, including the “Summer in Montreal” and the “Russians Don’t Blush,” the latter a nod to a memorable locker-room exchange in the series.

“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 Brooks LeBoeuf said, according to the LA Times.

A quick refresher on the show

Based on the novel by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry follows two professional hockey players on rival teams: Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, a star for the fictional Montreal Metros, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, a gruff Russian who plays for the fictional Boston Raiders. What begins as a rivalry on the ice turns into a secret relationship that stretches across years.

The series premiered last November and quickly became what the distributor called “a global phenomenon,” fueled by fan edits, social media buzz and plenty of rewatching.

Why TV is coming to theaters

Theatrical screenings of TV shows are becoming a familiar tool for keeping fan communities engaged between seasons. For theaters, they fill seats during a season when big releases are spread out. For fans, they turn a solo binge into a shared event, complete with laughter, gasps and applause in all the right places.

For Heated Rivalry, the timing also helps bridge a long gap. Filming and production on Season 2 are still under way, and the new season is slated for spring 2027 on Crave and HBO Max.

The bottom line

If you have already watched Heated Rivalry more times than you would like to admit, a theater screening is a chance to see it the way its biggest fans have been describing it: as an event. Check your local Regal, AMC, Cinemark or Cineplex listings closer to November 6, and plan your pairings early, because fan-driven screenings like these tend to sell out quickly in larger cities.

Image: The Rink in the American Dream Meadowlands during ice hockey practicing by ArielR20130725 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0