Arizona Tribune - Regal Cinemas Launches 4DX Screenings for 'Heated Rivalry' Amid Immersive Theater Trend

Regal Cinemas has announced plans to screen episodes of the hit gay hockey series Heated Rivalry in its immersive 4DX format, marking a significant expansion of interactive movie-going experiences into the realm of television drama. The screenings are scheduled for one night only on November 16 across 59 theaters in the United States, with additional locations in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The initiative follows the massive commercial success of standard theatrical screenings of Heated Rivalry, which have drawn large crowds despite the series being available for streaming. As of November 8, Regal reported earning $1.4 million from its limited theatrical release of the show, which was adapted from Rachel Reid’s bestselling novels and gained mainstream traction after airing on HBO Max.

Jack Grimes, senior director of alternative business development at Regal, stated that the goal is to allow fans to "go to the cottage and really experience" the setting of the show all over again. The standard theatrical run has been characterized by enthusiastic audience participation, including shouting along to t.a.T.u’s "All the Things She Said" during a club scene in episode four and posing with themed popcorn buckets featuring stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.

While Heated Rivalry is not traditionally viewed as an obvious candidate for 4DX technology, Regal is responding to a broader industry shift. Originating in South Korea in 2009, 4DX provides motion-enabled chairs and environmental effects such as wind, rain, or scents. Historically reserved for big-budget action films like The Odyssey and Avatar: The Way of Water, the format is increasingly being applied to dramas, comedies, and romances.

This trend was highlighted last month when distributor Black Bear hosted 4DX screenings of Wicker, a romantic black comedy starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgaard. Those screenings featured synchronized motion-activated "thrusts" in the audience’s seats during sex scenes and water splashing onto viewers during specific plot points.

Grimes noted that the intense social media response to Wicker helped inspire the decision to bring Heated Rivalry into the 4DX format. "We think the demographic overlap is really significant between the two," he said, pointing out that both properties attract a predominantly female viewership. The strong sales of the initial Heated Rivalry screenings emphasized the need to "bring this to life" through enhanced physical effects.

Filmmakers are also becoming more creative in incorporating these effects directly into production. According to a Vulture interview with Jaehyun Jeong and Jaesang Yoon, producers for special effects company CJ 4DPlex, director Paul Thomas Anderson specifically requested "sexual movements" for a scene in his upcoming film One Battle After Another involving Sean Penn.

Regarding the specific effects planned for Heated Rivalry, Grimes declined to confirm details as CJ 4DPlex is still coding the version. However, he indicated the experience will "lean a lot into the motion effects," focusing on moments where it makes sense and remains tasteful. When asked if the chairs would thrust during sex scenes, similar to Wicker, Grimes replied, "I wouldn't say that it's out of a stretch of imagination to say it's going to happen here."

The episodes selected for screening, numbers five and six, are less graphic than earlier installments of the series. This has led to speculation about how Regal will adapt the technology to the narrative, with potential effects ranging from chirping crickets during cottage scenes to ice chips flying during a hockey rink sequence.

Despite the uncertainty of the specific sensory inputs, the move underscores a growing willingness among theater chains to cater to niche fan bases through highly interactive, physically engaging screenings. The November 16 event represents a test case for whether immersive technology can successfully translate the communal energy of television fandoms into a cinematic environment.

O.Gutierrez--AT