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.
RELATED POSTS :
- Reid Scott Leaving, James Badge Dale Joining LAW & ORDER Season 26
- Tom Holland To Star In Fred Astaire Biopic
- David Jonsson to Lead BLACK PANTHER 3
- Ryan Gosling To Play Ghost Rider In New Marvel Movie
- Weekend Box Office: THE ODYSSEY Victorious Again With $90 Million Second Frame
- Giorgio Armani TV Series in the Works
- Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy to Lead Adaptation of YOU ARE HERE
- CLUELESS Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered at Paramount+
- John Legend To Play Harry Belafonte in Biopic THE ROAD HOME
- Samara Weaving To Star As Emma Frost In Marvel's X-MEN Movie
- Beatrice Kitsos And David Iacono to Lead Netflix Romantic Comedy BETTER THAN THE MOVIES
- Weekend Box-Office: SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY Scores Biggest Domestic Debut In History
- Jaafar Jackson Joins Will Smith In Action Thriller SUPERMAX
- Richard Madden to Star in Hostage Thriller Series TRAUMA
- MICHAEL Sequel in the Works at Lionsgate
- Kit Connor in Talks to Play Cyclops in Marvel's X-MEN Movie
- Numan Acar, Kevin J. O'Connor and Oded Fehr Join Universal's THE MUMMY Sequel
- Jason Clarke Joins Will Smith Action Thriller SUPERMAX
- Sam Neill, Dichen Lachman, Yvonne Strahovski, Uli Latukefu and Lydia Peckham Star in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Movie
- Weekend Box Office: SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY Continues to Dominate With $144.2 Million Sophomore Frame
- Russell Crowe & Priyanka Chopra Jonas To Star In Sci-Fi Action Thriller BLUEFLY
