Peter Bart: How the Flying Pucks of ‘Heated Rivalry’ Show Studios the Impact of a Popular Novel
Jack Warner once advised his team, “All we need is one game-changer. One hit can change the town.” Today, Warner might find irony in how a series of novels titled Game Changers is revitalizing the streaming industry. Among these is Heated Rivalry, a captivating series about the secret romantic relationships between two Canadian hockey players, which has unexpectedly become a success for Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max. The series originates from Rachel Reid, a previously unknown homemaker from Nova Scotia.
Initially, the idea for Heated Rivalry circulated between HBO and Netflix in Australia, Canada, and Hollywood before finally receiving the green light. Its achievement underscores the growing significance of novels in the streaming landscape, as seen with the prominent success of adaptations like Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Netflix’s investment in the 1989 British trilogy House of Cards also marked a pivotal moment, reinforcing the platform’s creative resurgence.
This year, novels have also inspired films such as One Battle After Another and The Housemaid. Historically, film studios have drawn from literary giants like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Margaret Mitchell, with notable writers occasionally attempting screenwriting, often facing mixed results.
Fitzgerald himself would likely shudder at the five adaptations of The Great Gatsby, none of which fared well with critics or audiences. Renowned authors frequently grapple with the unique challenges of writing Hollywood novels, and readers have encountered a range of efforts, from absurdities like Merton at the Movies to the more somber Day of the Locust.
The common thread among these narratives reveals Hollywood as a distinctively turbulent environment. This idea resonates with Budd Schulberg, son of a studio chief, who famously described the Hollywood novel as “a conceit and a mirage.”
In a more whimsical exploration of this genre, Queer People, a humorous novel originally published in 1930, is set for republishing this spring by Felix Farmer Press. Its characters, quirky rather than conventionally “gay,” navigate careers disrupted by the advent of sound in film.
Protagonist Richard White Jr. experiences a variety of roles, from reporter to murderer suspect to pianist in a bordello, interacting with domineering studio heads and unscrupulous producers. Written by brothers Carroll and Garret Graham, Queer People garnered positive reviews and sufficient buzz for a film option that was ultimately never realized. The story concludes with White departing California for a hopefully less chaotic future.
Conversely, Rachel Reid remains busy producing additional works in the Game Changers series, with her agents emphasizing the need to keep the momentum going. The success of Heated Rivalry has sparked numerous themed events in clubs across Canada and New York and has secured a second season for the show.
