‘Heated Rivalry’ reportedly films Seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back with a Christmas movie
‘Heated Rivalry’ is currently filming Seasons 2 and 3 simultaneously, with a Christmas film commencing production immediately after them, as reported by Deadline. The two seasons, each consisting of six episodes, are due to finish filming in late November or early December, with Season 2 set to premiere in spring 2027. Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) and Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) will also be returning for Season 3.
The standalone film centers on the other Season 1 couple, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.), with other series characters appearing throughout. Arnaud and Robbie G.K. have been onscreen as the couple from the Season 1 launch. The feature film goes before cameras in December, immediately following the two seasons’ wrap, and opens in theaters in December 2027, approximately a year later. Of note, Storrie’s Ilya and Williams’ Shane will not appear in the film, even though the two actors lead the series. So far, there has been no announcement regarding Season 3 or the movie from Crave. Season 2 was approved in December 2025, just weeks after Season 1 premiered. It went into production in August 2026. The series is available to stream on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in America and Australia.
Fans who love ‘Game Changers’ novels by Rachel Reid may already recognize Scott and Kip from Book 1, ‘Game Changer,’ which Season 1 included in its adaptation of Book 2, ‘Heated Rivalry.’ Scott is the hockey player who comes out during a live, televised game, and Kip is the barista whose relationship with him inspired that moment. In 2018, Reid released a free short story called ‘Merry Christmas, Scott & Kip’. This shows how their first Christmas together goes when they visit Kip’s parents in Brooklyn. It is unknown if this will be adapted into a movie.
Fans long suspected a double shoot when Dylan Walsh (David Hollander) said in a Cameo video that the crew would shoot 12 episodes. Creator Jacob Tierney told Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show that “Season 2 will be six episodes” and that filming would conclude by the end of the year, which technically would be two six-episode seasons that Walsh mentioned. ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 adapts Book 6, ‘The Long Game,’ and continues the story of Shane and Ilya, two hockey players hiding a secret relationship from the time they broke in as rookies.
Christina Chang (Yuna Hollander) and Walsh star as Shane’s parents. Justice Smith (Harris Drover) and Charlie Gillespie (Troy Barrett) joined the cast in August as the pair from Book 5, ‘Role Model,’ which shares the same timeline as that sequel. Tierney writes and directs the series and executive produces along with Brendan Brady. ‘Heated Rivalry’ debuted on Crave on November 28, 2025, with its six-episode first season concluding on December 26, 2025.
