Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the cast of Heated Rivalry for its second season, with cameras already rolling in Canada. Production began earlier this week on the Crave Original series, which streams on HBO Max in the US and more than 130 other countries. Season 2 is confirmed to premiere in Spring 2027. Deadline

Smith, whose credits include I Saw the TV Glow and Now You See Me: Now You Don't, plays Harris Drover — Ottawa's social media manager, described in Rachel Reid's books as a warm presence determined to draw a guarded teammate out of his shell. Gillespie, seen in One Night Only, Splitsville and Suze, takes on Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ottawa after cutting ties with a former friend and teammate on the Toronto team who is accused of sexual assault. Harris and Troy are the central couple of Role Model, the fifth book in Reid's bestselling Game Changers series. Variety

The show's first season adapted Book 2 — also titled Heated Rivalry — tracking the romance between hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), while weaving in elements from Book 1, Game Changer. Williams and Storrie return as leads in Season 2. Creator Jacob Tierney, who writes, directs and executive produces, said the new season will continue Shane and Ilya's story by tackling Book 6, The Long Game, while introducing Harris and Troy via Role Model. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer. Deadline

In a joint statement, Tierney and producing partner Brendan Brady said Reid gave them two layered characters that audiences root for, and that they sought actors who could create something special together. Variety

For fans of the books, the casting lands two of the series' most anticipated characters into a season that already has a full plate — continuing one couple's arc while opening another. That structure mirrors how streaming-era adaptation works: rather than one book per season, Heated Rivalry braids multiple novel threads together, keeping existing viewers invested while widening the world for new ones.

The series is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media's Crave, commissioned by Bell Media's Crave with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson executive produce alongside Tierney. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje produce, with Reid serving as consulting producer. International distribution is handled by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company. Deadline