'Heated Rivalry': What Viral Success Can Teach You About Adapting Beloved Source Material

Early this week, my FYP seemed suddenly inundated with mentions of two hockey players who were getting pretty cozy despite being from rival teams, destined to hate each other yet seemingly on a romantic collision course. And viewers fell just as hard, just as fast, rocketing the two lead actors to instant stardom.

The show is Heated Rivalry. You've also probably seen the memes. The fan edits. The thirst traps. It follows the years-long secret relationship between rival hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.

HBO Max's new hit launched on Nov. 28 and immediately became a cultural phenomenon, with its stars tripling their Instagram followers within days of the premiere. It's based on the Rachel Reid novel of the same name, part of her Game Changers series. It had a built-in audience that was deeply protective of the source material.

The show is now at 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's already one of the most popular shows on HBO Max. Not bad for a Canadian series that only secured its U.S. distribution deal a week before premiere.

Book fans can be notoriously hard to please. Yet somehow, writer-director Jacob Tierney pulled it off in a way that should inspire anyone attempting to adapt pre-existing work.

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Respect Your Source Material

Tierney was clear about his approach from the start, saying he wasn't trying to change the books. I've already seen edits of show scenes cut to the audio book narration, and it's stunningly close. It keeps the core dynamic and emotional beats that fans loved.

Many have noted that while key scenes from the book were faithfully recreated, the adaptation added unique touches that deepened the story rather than just copying it page-for-page. BuzzFeed has a whole article about it. Among these changes are visual storytelling moments to convey what the novel expresses through internal monologue.

This is the sweet spot. You're not just making a one-to-one illustrated version of a book.

Let Your Fans Do the Marketing If You Can

HBO Max acquired the U.S. rights at the last minute, expanding the show's audience by millions. The show didn't get the typical marketing push that most series with these numbers would receive. I was one who saw the show pop up on the platform, was curious about where it came from, and only checked it out when I saw how feral it made fans online.

The books' fanbase created the buzz. They made edits, obsessed over every scene on BookTok, and spread word across social platforms. According to Lainey Gossip, the social media explosion this past weekend happened organically, driven by viewers who felt the adaptation honored what they loved about the source material.

Executive producer Brendan Brady noted that fan buzz directly led to distribution opportunities, including the HBO Max deal, after the trailer release.

"The fans’ involvement in this experience has very much led to these amazing opportunities," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "It just feels like we’ve had a really great time getting to help bring this [show] to a community that wants it."

Cast for Chemistry, Not Just Names

The show's success hinges almost entirely on whether you believe the relationship between Shane and Ilya. Collider's review notes that the narrative itself is exciting but fairly straightforward; however, the chemistry between actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie elevates everything.

This is crucial for those among us who might be low-budget filmmakers. You don't need stars. You need actors who can generate electricity on-screen.

Book readers had specific ideas about these characters, and the casting had to deliver. It did, and that's why the show works. These are actors who can convey the yearning that romance fans crave. It's so fun to watch.

Don't Shy Away From What Makes Your Story Unique

The show's intimate scenes went viral almost immediately. Both lead actors have said they had no boundaries while filming, but worked closely with an intimacy coordinator.

Tierney told The Hollywood Reporter that sex is the language of Shane and Ilya's relationship, and their physical connection evolves.

"Sex is how you tell the story because their sex changes as they get to know each other, as they get to know themselves,” Tierney said.

Cutting that would have gutted the story.

Whatever makes your source material work, whatever your audience responds to, don't water it down trying to appeal to everyone.

What's to Come

With only two episodes released, Heated Rivalry is already competing with IT: Welcome to Derry for the top spot on HBO Max (per Collider). That's really remarkable for a show that was originally created for Canada's Crave streaming service.

This shouldn't be reduced to simple, broad takeaways like "just find a popular book series to make" or "maybe we should develop more shows about hockey," which I've also seen as a joke about TV executives made by fans online. It's about understanding what your audience values and delivering that with integrity while still using your medium's strengths.