Netflix has discovered the “Sex on Ice” series.
The streamer has ordered a series version of Hannah Grace’s novel, “Icebreaker.” Variety magazine has learned this exclusively. Netflix executive Ginny Howe revealed the news on stage during a fireside chat with Variety magazine’s television editor Michael Schneider at the Banff World Media Festival.
Amanda Lasher and Jade Bartlett will write and executive produce, with Bartlett writing the pilot and Lasher serving as showrunner. Alex Cooper, Matt Kaplan and Mina Lefebvre will executive produce through their Unwell Productions (Love Overboard, Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special).
“Netflix has a long history of turning beloved romance novels into global blockbusters, and we know our members can’t get enough of these stories, which makes ‘Icebreaker’ the perfect next chapter for us,” said Howe, Netflix’s head of scripted series for the U.S. and Canada. “Icebreaker cemented the hockey sports romance genre, ignited a passionate fandom, and helped redefine the landscape of modern romance. We’re thrilled to partner with Jade Bartlett, Amanda Rusher, and the team at Unwell Productions to bring this captivating love story to life.”
“Icebreaker” is the first of three novels published by Grace in the Maple Hills series, set at the fictional University of California, Maple Hills. “Ice Breaker” has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 70 consecutive weeks. The book was originally published in 2022 and widely released in 2023. The book has sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide.
The show’s logline reads, “She’s a transfer athlete chasing Olympic gold. He’s a campus star chasing the NHL. But when an accident forces the teams to share a single link, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins clash. Discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than the desire to win is their desire for each other.”
News of the series comes as audiences become increasingly obsessed with romances set in skating rinks. “Heat Rivalry”, which depicts two professional hockey players in a secret love affair, created a sensation around the world when it was released in late 2025. Amazon also recently released Off Campus, a series about the relationship between a star college hockey player and a music student at the same school. In their first seasons, both shows are based on book series.
Netflix has also had great success adapting popular novels such as Bridgerton, The Queen’s Gambit, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
“I’ve been a fan of sexy YA since seventh grade, when I would hide behind my textbook and secretly read Judy Blume,” Ms. Lasher said. “I love this genre and it was so much fun working with Jade, the team at Unwell and Netflix to bring Hannah Grace’s popular novel Icebreaker to the big screen.”
Early in his career, Lasher worked on the hit series Gossip Girl, eventually rising to the position of co-executive producer. Since then, she’s appeared on shows like “Togetherness” and “Riverdale,” and has also served as showrunner on series like “The Bold Type” and “Sweet/Vicious.”
“I was so excited to play in the world of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker. This story is full of ambitious, talented, and definitely sexy characters,” Bartlett said. “But the real special sauce is that above all they are good, deeply caring people…and we can’t get enough of them. Hannah has created the kind of world you want to live in, and Amanda and I are thrilled to work with Unwell and the amazing team at Netflix to bring this important story to the screen.”
Bartlett made his feature writing and directing debut with Mirror’s Girl, which was based on the Blacklist screenplay of the same name. The film attended the 2024 Palm Springs Film Festival, was produced by Point Gray and Mary-Margaret Kunze, and released by Lionsgate. She is also working on films such as “Roadhouse” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” in 2025.
Mr. Lasher is represented by OPE Partners and Mackin Frankel. Bartlett is repped by UTA and Heroes and Villains Entertainment. Grace is represented by Park Fine & Brower Literary Management, which negotiated the contract on her behalf.
