If the year rolled to a close and you’d not yet heard of author Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series of novels, you have now with the surprise streaming hit of the year, HBO’s “Heated Rivalry.” The six-episode series followed the growing romance between two young, closeted professional hockey rookies, shining Canadian star Shane (Hudson Williams) and Russian bad boy Ilya (Connor Storrie). Created by “Letterkenny” alum Jacob Tierney, it’s all the queer internet can talk about lately. Even the NHL (the show depicts a fictional version with a different name) is supporting it for bringing in new fans to the sport. The announcement of Season 2, then, comes as no surprise, much to the delight of everyone but the usual bigots. It seems nearly certain that breakout heartthrobs Williams and Storrie will return, along with new casting for new storylines. But you’ll have a bit of a wait: Tierney writes all of it and doesn’t like to rush. A perfect time to catch up on the wild comedy of the hockey-adjacent “Letterkenny” and the hockey-specific “Shoresy.”
Hayley Kiyoko hopes you like more ‘Girls Like Girls’ in 2026
Admire the tenacious drive of lesbian multi-hyphenate artist Hayley Kiyoko, who has built an ever-growing career in queer pop music without depending on singles charts, has acted since her teen years (“The Fosters,” “Wizards of Waverly Place”), directed her own music videos, written the popular novel “Girls Like Girls” based on her 2015 song of the same name, and has now directed her first feature film, also titled “Girls Like Girls.” About — what else — young girls in love, the film stars Canadian actress Maya Da Costa (Hulu’s “Under the Bridge”) and Thai actress Myra Molloy (Broadway’s “Hadestown,” “Miss Saigon”) and will be released by Focus Features in June of 2026 for a cheeky Pride Month bit of counter-programming opposite “Toy Story 5.” If you hadn’t noticed her before, 2026 looks to change that.
Kate McKinnon goes dramatic ‘In the Blink of an Eye’
Comedy star Kate McKinnon has spent the majority of her career making people laugh, the sole exceptions being her roles in the 2019 Fox News scandal-themed “Bombshell” and 2022’s “Joe vs Carole.” But in 2026, she’ll be one of the leads in director Andrew Stanton’s (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL-E”) science fiction drama, “In the Blink of an Eye.” Co-starring alongside Rashida Jones and “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs, we understand it to involve three intersecting storylines taking place in three different time periods: 45,000 years in the past, the present, and 200 years into the future. Intriguing — will Kate M play a prehistoric cave lesbian? — and the big test will be its reception at the Sundance Film Festival in January. After that, it drops on Hulu at the end of February.
Barbara Hammer documentary goes to Sundance
Queer cinephiles rejoice, here comes “Barbara Forever,” a documentary about the life and artistic output of groundbreaking lesbian director Barbara Hammer. Directed by Brydie O’ Connor, “Barbara Forever” explores the archive and legacy of the experimental filmmaker, whose film “Nitrate Kisses” was an integral part of early ’90s New Queer Cinema. She was part of the feminist and LGBT movement in 1970s San Francisco and the art world of 1980s New York City, and with every step of her life and career she investigated what it meant to be queer until her death in 2019. She put lesbians on screen at every stage of her life and queer filmmaking owes a debt to her, so this documentary will be required viewing for any student of film history. It has its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Be on the lookout for it to hit arthouses later in 2026.
Romeo San Vicente’s celebrating a shiny new year.