(Photo: Sabrina Lantos © 2025)
Heated Rivalry has added two new faces to its cast for season two. Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the hockey drama series based on the Rachel Reid novels. It’s produced by Crave in Canada.
Hudson Williamsan, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova star in the series, which follows the romance of rivals on the ice, Shane and Ilya.
HBO Max shared the following about the additions:
Heated Rivalry will return to Sky and NOW in Spring 2027 exclusively in the UK and Ireland, with new additions to its lead cast.
Heated Rivalry, the steamy Sky Exclusive romantic drama adapted from Rachel Reid’s critically acclaimed Game Changers book series, is confirmed to return to Sky and streaming service NOW in Spring 2027, exclusively in the UK and Ireland.
Today, Justice Smith (I Saw the TV Glow, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t) and Charlie Gillespie (One Night Only, Splitsville, Suze) have also been confirmed as new cast additions, playing Harris Drover and Troy Barrett. Smith and Gillespie join Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in leading roles for the upcoming new season.
Writer, director, and executive producer Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said: “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.”
The first season told the story of rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie). 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.
Jacob Tierney is writer, director, and executive producer. Brendan Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers, with Rachel Reid as consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2.
Produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave, Heated Rivalry is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus. The series was originally created for Canadian streaming service Crave by award-winning Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy). Acquired for Sky by Lucy Criddle, Director of Acquisitions and Strategic Projects, and Alexander Wright, Acquisitions Manager.”
Hard launch. #HeatedRivalry
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie join the cast of Heated Rivalry Season 2. pic.twitter.com/WP5f42iDne
— HBO Max (@hbomax) August 7, 2026
The premiere date for season two will be announced later.
What do you think? Do you enjoy this HBO Max series? Do you plan to watch season two?
