Book to Screen
‘Icebreaker’ Dream Cast: Who We Want to See Hit the Ice as Anastasia, Nathan & More
Hannah Grace’s steamy hockey romance, Icebreaker, has been a BookTok staple since its release in 2022. While Stassie and Nathan have catapulted to the status of Twisted Love leads Ava and Alex and Fourth Wing leads Violet and Xaden, the fan-favorite novel is missing one key similarity to its spicy BookTok counterparts — Icebreaker has yet to be optioned for an adaptation. From hundreds of fan-casting TikToks to a digital petition calling for a film, Grace’s readers have been incredibly vocal in their need to watch the love story unfold on screen, and we can’t help but agree with the sentiment.
Icebreaker follows the dual POVs of Olympic hopeful Anastasia “Stassie” Allen and NHL-bound Nathan Hawkins, whose worlds collide when her figure skating team is forced to share a rink with his hockey team. On the ice, the figure skater and hockey captain share a palpable tension that quickly melts into a wholly different kind of tension off the rink.
Introducing a loveable ensemble of hockey players, Stassie’s friends, and other party-loving students, Icebreaker is what Tell Me Lies would be if Lucy, Stephen, and the rest of their squad replaced their love for deception with a more cozy love for ice sports. Don’t worry, Icebreaker still finds room for plenty of drama, thanks to Stassie’s skating partner, Aaron, who points the blame for his mysterious injury to Nathan’s team.
We believe Icebreaker is a perfect romance to make the leap from book to screen and are eagerly waiting for the day an adaptation announcement comes. Until then, we couldn’t help but make a dream cast of the actors and actresses we hope to see take the ice at Maple Hills.
Do you agree with our dream cast? Comment below with who you would cast in an Icebreaker adaptation!
Sabrina Carpenter as Anastasia Allen
We’ve heard everyone from Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks) to Josephine Langford (After) suggested to play Hannah Grace’s spunky lead, Anastasia. But, ultimately, we can’t help but support BookTok’s most lofty pull: Girl Meets World actress turned Grammy award-winning sensation Sabrina Carpenter. While we know Carpenter’s already working late because she’s a singer, her recent comedic performances on Saturday Night Live have us eager to see her return to our screens. While we’ve seen little proof that Carpenter can skate, in the past year alone, she has truly proven there is nothing she can’t do. For this truly inspired casting choice, we’re willing to take a leap of faith, hold up some skates, and ask the question everyone’s been wondering: Sabrina, have you ever tried this one?
Noah Beck as Nathan Hawkins
Nathan is the beating heart of the Maple Hills hockey team, both on and off the ice. For any actor, playing a believable hockey player calls for athleticism and loads of charisma. When you add all that to the necessary endearment of a classic BookTok male lead, and you’ve got yourself a tall order. While we agree with the vast majority of BookTok that Jacob Elordi would give a life-changing performance as a hockey player, we’ve decided to throw a new name into the mix. Nathan Hawkins, meet Noah Beck, the TikTok star who catapulted to sports romance stardom in Sidelined: The QB and Me. We’ve witnessed Beck’s charm and definitely swooned at one (or hundreds) of his TikToks, so we’re eager to see what he could do as the Icebreaker male lead.
Milo Manheim as Aaron Carlisle
Aaron has been Stassie’s skating partner since their freshman year, causing the two to share a bond that Hannah Grace assures us is very hard for Olympic-bound athletes to sever. Whether Aaron’s distrust for Nathan stems from his need for athletic perfection or just plain old jealousy, Stassie witnesses a serious change in her partner, making him the greatest adversary to their relationship. When considering who we wanted to see join Carpenter on the ice, we couldn’t help but think of her former Disney Channel colleague, Milo Manheim (Zombies). While we’ve never seen Manheim skate, his runner-up performance on Dancing with the Stars and recent casting in Off-Broadway’s Little Shop of Horrors makes us confident that he’d be up for the challenge.
Abigail Cowen as Lola Mitchell
Have you ever noticed that almost every college romance features the FMC’s best friend falling in love with the MMC’s best friend, or (at the very least) some serious friend group co-mingling that happens before the main couple officially gets together? Lucky for the Maple Hills Hockey team, Stassie’s best friend is single and ready to mingle. That is, before she instantly starts dating Nathan’s best friend. For Stassie’s hilariously blunt best friend Lola, we’ve gone with Abigail Cowen, who we have been dying to see return to the small screen since Fate: The Winx Saga was canceled. With a truly infectious smile, we’re certain that Cowen would be the perfect actress to take on the role of Stassie’s fiercest supporter.
Mason Gooding as Henry Turner
Maple Hills’ resident cinnamon roll, Henry Turner, is one of BookTok’s most beloved characters. While Icebreaker could be easily read or adapted as a standalone, the book follows the model of Twisted Love, setting the stage for a series of interconnected standalones. We’ve decided to cast Mason Gooding as Henry, who goes on to be the main character of Grace’s third book, Daydream. Gooding recently starred in the rom-com/slasher film Heart Eyes, but we would love to see him return to his Swooon-worthy Let It Snow roots. Gooding may seem like he left icy romance for horror, but honestly, what’s more terrifying than navigating college social life?
Rudy Pankow as Ryan Rothwell
At Maple Hills, basketballer Ryan Rothwell is infamous for getting around. As Stassie’s close friend (with benefits), Ryan may seem like an immediately spottable villain. However, the character is beloved by fans, who have taken to TikTok calling for the next book in the Maple Hills series to revolve around him finding love. Future main character or not, the role of Ryan deserves a top-notch actor, who is wildly hot and authentically sincere. To take on the fan-favorite role, we’ve chosen Rudy Pankow who won our hearts on Outer Banks. Ever since the heartthrob left OBX, we’ve been eager to see him back on our screens. Joining the cast of Icebreaker as this Maple Hills community staple may be his perfect return.
