At this year’s Golden Globe Awards, where Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were the undeniable belles of the ball, host Nikki Glaser quipped that the show’s success is “proof that America is ready for more shows about hockey.”
The joke, of course, being that Hollywood is finally waking up to what queer audiences have known forever:
LGBTQ+ stories are not niche.
The overwhelming response to Heated Rivalry adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels has made one thing crystal clear: there is a massive, hungry audience ready for more swoony, steamy, emotionally rich gay romances on screen.
And now, it looks like the industry is taking notes.
From BookTok Favorite to Big-Screen Romance
According to Deadline, Alison Cochrun’s beloved bestseller The Charm Offensive is officially being adapted into a feature-length film.
The project is coming from Marginal MediaWorks, with producers Alex Liu and Leo Neri the award-winning duo behind the standout sex-education documentary A Sexplanation.
The vibe?
Think The Devil Wears Prada meets Heated Rivalry, but set behind the scenes of a glossy, Bachelor-style reality dating show.
Yes, please.
What The Charm Offensive Is All About
The story centers on:
- Dev Deshpande an ace, hyper-competent producer who always manufactures the perfect on-screen love story
- Charlie Winshaw a deeply anxious tech billionaire cast as the show’s latest eligible bachelor
Charlie’s participation is less about finding love and more about rehabbing his image. Dating twenty women on national television? Not exactly his dream scenario.
But as Dev works overtime to keep the production running smoothly across a whirlwind, globe-trotting shoot, something unexpected happens:
the real chemistry isn’t happening on camera.
Cue stolen moments, emotional vulnerability, and the age-old romance dilemma choose love, or protect your career?
(Reader, it’s a romance novel. You know where this is going.)
Nik Dodani Is Officially In
Alongside the adaptation announcement came the news that Nik Dodani will star as Dev Deshpande.
Dodani an openly queer actor and filmmaker is best known for his work on Netflix’s Atypical and last year’s horror-comedy The Parenting. This marks his first full-blown, unapologetic romantic lead role.
In a statement, Dodani shared:
“No matter how bad things get in the world, it’s a comfort to know we’re always going to have more gay sh*t to watch.”
Relatable.
He also joked that the role is finally motivating him to hit the gym — a sacrifice we thank him for in advance.
The Casting Question Everyone’s Asking
While Dev has his star, Charlie remains uncast which means fan-casting season has officially begun.
Our early favorite? Cooper Koch.
- An out actor ✔️
- Emotionally guarded but charming ✔️
- Recently worked with Luca Guadagnino ✔️
Koch also appears in Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial, centered on Sam Altman and the founding of OpenAI meaning he’s already practiced at playing detached tech-world types.
Just saying.
BookTok, Smut, and Global Appeal
Since its release in 2021, The Charm Offensive has become a BookTok phenomenon, racking up 10,000+ posts on the platform and being translated into eight languages.
And yes much like Heated Rivalry the book delivers a generous helping of steamy, unabashed gay smut, paired with emotional depth and humor.
Producer Alex Liu told Deadline he first discovered the novel as a staff pick in a small-town rural library and “read it straight through in one sitting.”
Turns out queer readers everywhere agree:
We love a tender love story with a side of filth.
When Can We Watch?
There’s no production start date just yet, but with Heated Rivalry lighting a fire under Hollywood, momentum is clearly on this project’s side.
Expect a director announcement and additional casting news soon.
Until then? We’ll be re-reading the book… for research purposes.