"Every epic romance needs its stage, but the Canadian phenomenon Heated Rivalry built an entire global arena. The television series, which has quickly moved from queer TikTok to just about everywhere beyond and spawned a thousand "meeting at the cottage" memes in the process, follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as they navigate a narrative that's part coming-of-age saga, part fever dream in which Toronto masquerades as Manhattan, Hamilton doubles for Russia."
"Their story unfolds through borrowed skylines and rented suites, employing Ontario's chameleonic landscape to construct what showrunner Jacob Tierney calls "the land of professional athletes who make millions of dollars." That money was always part of the love story. When Tierney and production designer Aidan Leroux first mapped out the show's visual journey, they weren't just thinking about where these characters would share a kiss, and considerably more, they were thinking about what those rooms would cost."
"Leroux's guiding principle was a gradual trickling in of opulence, not instant wealth. When we first meet Shane and Ilya, they're 18, grinding it out in the junior leagues of Regina, Saskatchewan, all concrete walls and starkness. Leroux deliberately withheld the designer sunglasses and luxury watches, introducing them gradually as the characters aged into sponsorship deals and seven-figure contracts."
Heated Rivalry follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as their relationship progresses from junior-league struggle to millionaire stardom. Ontario locations and sets double as a range of global cities, with Toronto standing in for Manhattan and Hamilton for Russia. Production prioritized a glossy, Harlequin-like aesthetic over grit, using a gradual infusion of luxury — sunglasses, watches, hotel upgrades — to signal career and wealth escalation. Showrunner Jacob Tierney and production designer Aidan Leroux mapped a visual journey tied to character development, consciously designing spaces that reflect shifting status and the romance's fantasy elements.
Read at CN Traveller
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