Sony has officially found the perfect Off Campus replacement. Based on the book series by romance sensation Elle Kennedy, Prime Video's Off Campus has become an astounding hit. Even now, nearly three months after its premiere, the show still holds the No. 1 spot on Prime Video's global streaming chart, outperforming flagship series like The Boys and newer genre peers like Every Year After, the recently renewed adaptation of Carley Fortune's bestselling novel. Off Campus' rewatch value is clearly unmatched.
Much of Off Campus' appeal comes from the steamy, sweet chemistry between its lead characters, Hannah "Wellsy" Wells (Ella Bright) and Briar University hockey captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), as their classic "fake dating to make someone jealous" arrangement turns into something much more meaningful. Between their emotionally insightful love story and a great ensemble cast, Off Campus has what it takes to last for five (or more) seasons, with each season spotlighting a new, equally compelling couple.
Thankfully, Louisa Levy's college hockey romance adaptation has already been renewed for season 2 — production is currently underway — with Hannah's best friend Allie (Mika Abdalla) and Garrett's roommate and teammate Dean (Stephen Kalyn) set to lead the show upon its highly-anticipated return. Still, as recent developments in the entertainment landscape have proven, there can never be too many (hockey) romance adaptations, and Sony is now ready to kick off its next big project: Fake Skating.
Fake Skating Is Getting An Adaptation, And It's The Ideal Off Campus Replacement
While there are many successful romance authors, one of the most successful YA romance authors is undoubtedly Lynn Painter, who shot to fame with her 2021 hit novel, Better Than The Movies. Since then, Painter has published four more YA love stories — as well as five adult romance novels and a middle-grade fantasy adventure book — including her latest, Fake Skating. Published in 2025, Fake Skating follows childhood friends Alec and Dani as they struggle to reconnect after years of no-contact, each blaming the other for their fractured relationship.
While Dani deals with the fallout from her parents' divorce and her desire to enroll at Harvard, Alec, now a bona fide hockey star — scouts have shown some serious interest in his skills — hopes to one day earn enough money to support his family after an accident left his dad unable to work. When an incriminating but out-of-context photo gets leaked online, Alec is desperate to save his reputation. So, when his coach sees him comforting Dani in a moment of vulnerability and assumes they're dating, the two hatch a plan. Alec will help Dani with her extracurriculars, while she'll help him rehabilitate his "image."
As is usually the case in these kinds of stories, their fake relationship soon turns very real, as old feelings claw their way to the surface. It's a treat to read (and watch) every time.
Off Campus and Fake Skating have a lot in common. Off Campus is decidedly more "New Adult" than "Young Adult," certainly, but both include the romance genre's much-loved "fake dating" trope, showcase hockey prodigies being scouted by the NHL, and feature introverted, talented, strong female characters working towards their academic goals. Most importantly, the central romantic relationships are built on real trust and honesty. There's nothing actually fake about their love stories, and that's what makes them so compelling.
On July 30, Deadline reported that Sony Pictures has hired The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone to helm the movie adaptation of Fake Skating, slated for release on July 16, 2027. Anyone who's read and seen The Fault in Our Stars will know that Boone is no stranger to crafting deeply emotional first-love stories on the big screen; he's a great pick for Fake Skating and will undoubtedly have everyone in tears by the time the credits roll. Don't worry, though, Alec and Dani share a lovely HEA, just like Off Campus' Garrett and Hannah.
Hockey Romance Adaptations Are Gaining Traction
Anyone who's spent any time browsing the romance section of their local indie bookshop, scrolled through BookTok, or scoured Amazon's Kindle store will have no doubt seen the abundance of hockey-focused romance novels available to read, both traditionally published and self-published. While sports romance has always been a major subgenre, hockey-centric stories are by far the most prolific. Pro hockey, college hockey, or high school hockey; there are icy love stories for everyone of all ages to enjoy.
Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance sensation based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid and adapted by Jacob Tierney, is coming back for a second season. The show was so popular, the publisher had to fast-track a new print run when copies sold out worldwide. Off Campus' premiere followed a few months later (the project was originally announced in 2024) and quickly became one of the most successful original launches for Prime Video of all time. The series was renewed for season 2 months before season 1's premiere.
More recently, Netflix has confirmed a TV adaptation of Hannah Grace's BookTok bestseller Icebreaker, which follows competitive figure skater Anastasia Allen as she's forced to share a rink with hotshot hockey player Nate Hawkins. Like Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, Icebreaker's adaptation has the potential to become a multi-season show, with subsequent seasons following other couples in Grace's Maple Hills book series. Sony's Fake Skating is just the latest in an increasingly long line of like-minded romance adaptations, both on the big and small screen.
Other Sports Romance Novels Adaptations In The Works (& On Our Wishlist)
There really are dozens, if not hundreds, of hockey romance book series that might one day interest Hollywood. Rachel Reid has two additional standalone MM hockey romances that would be perfect as streaming movies. Stephanie Archer's Vancouver Storm series is a massive hit online. Bal Khabra has taken the college hockey romance world by storm with her Off the Ice saga. There's a lot to choose from. Hockey isn't the only sport in the world, though.
With the return of Ted Lasso and the recent FIFA World Cup — the women's World Cup will be held in Brazil in 2027 — it's the perfect time for Hollywood to dig into soccer-centric romance. Happily, Meryl Wilsner's sapphic soccer romance Cleat Cute is already in development as a TV series with Amazon MGM Studios, which will also turn Ana Huang's Gods of the Game series, set in the high-pressure world of the UK's Premier League, into a movie trilogy. If the studios ever want to focus on hot, retired soccer players à la Roy Kent, may we suggest Talia Hibbert's The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco or Charlotte Steiner's When Grumpy Met Sunshine?
Rugby fan? Prime Video will produce Chloe Walsh's Boys of Tommen series as a TV show. Liz Tomforde's Windy City series is also being developed as a series, which, if it moves beyond season 1, will cover hockey, basketball, and baseball. Sarah Adams' football-focused The Cheat Sheet would make a great made-for-Netflix movie. How has Meghan Quinn's work not been snatched up yet? What about Ali Hazelwood's water-based Deep End? Honestly, it's hard to keep up with all the books being optioned in Hollywood, but there's clearly never been a better time to be a sports romance reader — hockey or otherwise.
Fake Skating is scheduled for release on July 16, 2027.
Off Campus
Cast
- Mika Abdalla Allie Hayes
- Francesca Bianchi Cindy
Source: Screen Rant
