The Entertainment Factor: Heated Rivalry Season 2: Movies, TV Shows, Music and Video Games

Emily Hampshire Edvin Ryding Robert Naylor Sabrina Jalees And Priyanka Join Heated Rivalry Season 2

The cast for the second season of the hit series "Heated Rivalry" is expanding with five new names: Emily Hampshire ("Schitt's Creek"), Edvin Ryding ("The Young Royals", "28 Years Later"), Robert Naylor ("Mile End Kicks", "Cardinal"), Sabrina Jalees ("I Used to Be Funny", "Black Mirror") and Priyanka ("Drag Brunch Saved My Life", "Meet Me Next Christmas").

The cast also includes leads Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, and previouly announced new additions Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie. Smith and Gillespie joined the cast as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively, the couple at the center of "Role Model", the fifth book in Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" series, which serves as inspiration for "Heated Rivalry"

Hampshire will star as Vanessa, Naylor plays Wyatt Hayes, Ryding is Luca Haas, Jalees is Farah Jalali, and Priyanka portrays Tarek. Season 2 will premiere Spring 2027 on HBO Max in the U.S., Australia, Europe (excluding the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Turkey), Latin America, and Asia (Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka).

Season 1 told the story of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who are bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understood. What began as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies evolved into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery.

The first season adapted the second book in Reid's series, which is titled "Heated Rivalry", while also incorporating elements from the first book "Game Changer". "Heated Rivalry" creator Jacob Tierney announced Season 2 will continue Shane and Ilya's story by adapting the sixth book "The Long Game", while also introducing a new couple from Book 5, "Role Model".

The show is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media's Crave, and is commissioned by Bell Media's Crave, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Tierney is writer, director and executive producer. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers, with Reid as consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2.

Justice Smith And Charlie Gillespie Join Heated Rivalry Season 2

Justice Smith ("I Saw the TV Glow", "Now You See Me: Now You Don't") and Charlie Gillespie ("One Night Only", "Splitsville") will join the second season of the Crave Original series "Heated Rivalry". The new season is confirmed to premiere in Spring 2027. Production on Season 2 is currently underway in Canada.

Smith and Gillespie will play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively, the couple at the center of "Role Model", the fifth book in Rachel Reid's bestselling "Game Changers" series, on which the show is based. Troy Barrett is a hockey player on Ilya Rozanov’s team with a history of bullying while Harris Drover is the team's cheerful social media manager.

In Season 1, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understood. What began as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies evolved into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery.

The first season adapted the second book, titled "Heated Rivalry", while also including elements from the first book, "Game Changer". "Heated Rivalry" creator Jacob Tierney had said that Season 2 will continue Shane and Ilya's story by following the plot of the sixth book, "The Long Game", while also introducing the new couple from "Role Model".

Tierney and Brendan Brady had this to say about the new characters: "Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can't help but root for. From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen. Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are".

Tierney writes, director, and executive produces. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers, with Reid as consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2.

"Heated Rivalry" is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media's Crave, and distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company. It is available in more than 130 countries.

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