Heated Rivalry will be retuning to Sky next year for UK audiences with two new leads
Fans will likely recognise Justice Smith already(Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Smash hit romance series Heated Rivalry will be returning to screens and there is one face that will be surprisingly familiar.
Having first been aired on Canadian streaming service Crave back in November 2025, it was then picked up by HBO Max in the US and was renewed for a second series just a month after it became a huge hit around the world.
Based on the bestselling book by Rachel Reid, it follows two elite professional hockey players who have a secret love affair. According to Sky: “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.”
Confirmed to return to Sky and NOW in Spring 2027 in the UK, it was today announced (August 7) that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have also been confirmed as new cast additions playing Harris Drover and Troy Barrett.
Justice Smith may already appear familiar to some fans, but who is the star and where have you seen him before?
Who is Justice Smith?
Justice Smith is an American actor well known for his role in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as well as I Saw the TV Glow and Pokemon Detective Pikachu.
Aged 30, Justin made his on-screen acting debut back in 2012 with thriller Trigger Finger and some television programmes before his first major role as Radar in Paper Towns in 2015.
Fans may also recognise the star from his appearance in Every Day (2018) as well as Sharper in 2023 and more recently, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.
Writer, director, and executive producer Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said about the cast announcement: “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.”
Heated Rivalry season 2 will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW in Spring 2027.