Rachel Reid has opened up about the potential for Heated Rivalry to head to the musical stage.
If you’ve somehow avoided the internet, TV, magazines, radio, or any form of pop culture entertainment, then chances are you’ve heard of (or become obsessed with) the gay hockey romance series.
Created by Jacob Tierney and based on Reid’s book of the same name, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who embark on a passionate, secret romance while maintaining a fierce rivalry on the ice.
Since its November premiere, the series has become a viral sensation and garnered critical acclaim, with viewers praising its faithfulness to the source material, bold sex scenes and the intoxicating chemistry between Williams and Storrie (both on and off screen).
While Heated Rivalry has already secured a second season, with a third season rumoured to be in the works as well, the TV sphere might not be the only place Shane and Ilya’s love story will take centre stage.
In a recent interview with Variety, Reid dished about all things Heated Rivalry, including the potential of her hit book being adapted into a Broadway musical.
“I hope so, because I still hold the stage rights to that. It was the thing that when I signed the contract, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’ll never happen.’ But now I’m like, ‘Maybe,'” she explained to the news outlet.
“We’re talking about all sorts of things right now. I was saying to Hudson a couple of weeks ago that it feels like we could do literally anything. It just seems like we have too much power, and we also have the power to destroy ourselves very easily.”
The openly queer author also opened up about her Parkinson’s diagnosis and how Heated Rivalry has helped her gain traction in receiving medical support.
“[An] amazing thing that’s come out of this, though, is Jacob [Tierney] was on CNN a few weeks ago. For whatever reason, the interviewer asked him about my Parkinson’s diagnosis,” Reid explained.
“I thought it was kind of odd, but then the next day, one of the top Parkinson’s experts in the world reached out to me and asked if he could help me. I’ve never gotten to talk to a Parkinson’s expert. I’ve been on a five-year waiting list here because I live in a very small place.
“Now he’s found me a Parkinson’s expert, a neurologist, and I have an appointment in a couple of weeks. That could change things for me because I’m not really getting the treatment that I should be getting.”
After five weeks of yearning, passionate trysts, and heartbreaking moments, fans were finally treated to the last episode of the gay hockey romance drama on 26 December.
Titled ‘The Cottage,’ the episode follows Shane and Ilya as they escape to the former’s woodland property for some R&R and a break from the spotlight.
Of course, the episode was chock full of heartfelt moments, including Ilya’s poignant reflection on his late mother’s suicide, to the couple coming out to Shane’s parents.
Following the season finale, Tierney shared some exciting news with Entertainment Weekly about the premiere window for the highly anticipated second season.
“It’s not gonna be two years. It’s not even gonna be 18 months, I don’t think. So we’re gonna go as fast as we can, while ensuring that we’re doing as good a job as we possibly can,” Tierney explained.
“There’s only so fast a track to go down when the show is written and directed by one person. I haven’t started writing yet. I’m going to. We are aware. We want to get the season out as soon as we can, as well, while also making sure that we give people a good second season.”
Here’s to hoping Heated Rivalry brings its steamy magic to the Broadway stage in the near future.
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