4DX movies discover romance and thirst

Regal screens Heated Rivalry in 4DX

Regal Cinemas announced a one-night 4DX screening of episodes five and six of Heated Rivalry on November 16 at fifty-nine US theaters, plus locations in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The show is a streaming hit

Heated Rivalry is a gay hockey series adapted from bestselling novels by Rachel Reid. It first aired on Canadian network Crave but became mainstream when it came to HBO Max.

Theatrical screenings are selling out

Heated Rivalry screenings have been selling out across US movie theaters for the past month. As of November 8, Regal earned one point four million dollars from its limited theatrical release.

4DX technology adds immersion

4DX technology originated in South Korea in two thousand nine. It provides motion-enabled chairs, environmental effects like wind and rain, and scents. It has mostly been used for action and thriller films.

Demand extends beyond action films

Recently there has been increasing demand for 4DX releases for dramas, comedies, and romances. Last month, Black Bear hosted 4DX screenings of the romantic comedy Wicker, featuring motion-activated thrusts during sex scenes.

Wicker inspired the Heated Rivalry plan

Jack Grimes, senior director of alternative business development at Regal, says the idea for 4DX Heated Rivalry screenings was inspired by the intense social media response to Wicker. Both appeal to female-driven viewership.

“We think the demographic overlap is really significant between the two. They're both very female-driven, in terms of what the viewership looks like.”

Motion effects will lean into intimacy

Grimes says the 4DX version will likely lean into motion effects where it makes sense and is tasteful.

“I mean, it's, it's something that we saw in Wicker, so I wouldn't say that it's out of a stretch of imagination to say it's going to happen here.”