Heated Rivalry gets season 2 update as Resident Evil star joins cast

Milla Jovovich has joined the cast of Heated Rivalry for its second season. The popular ice-hockey romance drama stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, two rival hockey players whose secret relationship develops into a years-long love story.

Ahead of its season two debut on HBO Max in spring 2027, the show has been lining up a stellar cast, with previously announced newcomers including Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek) and Priyanka (Drag Race Canada).

Joining them for season two are newly announced Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich, with details about their respective roles also being shared.

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According to Variety, Zegers is on board to play Coach Wiebe, while Gross will star as Commissioner Roger Crowell. Jovovich is set to star as Dr Galina Molchalina.

Returning from season one are Sophie Nélisse, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Robbie G K, Callan Potter, Benjamin Roy and Kamilla Kowal.

New to season two are Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie, Daniel Diemer, Shaheen Jafargholi, Robert Naylor, Edvin Ryding, and Sabrina Jalees, alongside Hampshire and Priyanka.

Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, season two of Heated Rivalry will take its inspiration from the sixth book in the series The Long Game.

It will follow Ilya and Shane as they grow closer while navigating the realities of making their relationship public.

Speaking about season two back in February, showrunner Jacob Tierney told CBS Mornings that they were preparing to film in the summer.

Related: Heated Rivalry issues plea to fans in statement ahead of highly-anticipated second season

He said: "We're writing it now, we're getting ready to start shooting this summer. There will be more Heated Rivalry on TVs as soon as humanly possible."

On why the show is so popular with audiences, he said: "It's very romantic, I think that's what it is. It has the hallmarks and trappings of a real classic romance.

"Years of yearning and longing; trying to get together and do the right thing for each other and not being able to,” he added.

Heated Rivalry season one is now streaming on NOW and Sky in the UK.

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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.