Rachel Reid defends Heated Rivalry season 2 casting

Heated Rivalry casting backlash Rachel Reid Game Changers hockey romance

The casting announcement for season two of the hockey romance series ‘Heated Rivalry’ has sparked significant debate among fans of Rachel Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ book series. Actors Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been cast as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively.

Much of the online backlash has focused on Justice Smith’s portrayal of Harris Drover. In the original novels, the character is described as having a stocky or heavier build, leading some readers to express disappointment that Smith does not match that physical description.

Author Rachel Reid has defended the production’s choices, noting that she faced similar criticism regarding the casting of the first season’s leads. Showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady also released a statement, asserting that Smith and Gillespie connected with the “vulnerability and resilience” at the core of their characters.

Production for the second season began in Canada in August, with a scheduled release in spring 2027 on platforms including Crave and HBO Max.

Entities

Charlie Gillespie · Crave · Heated Rivalry · Jacob Tierney · Justice Smith · Rachel Reid

Sources

Heated Rivalry author brushes off backlash to season 2 casting [thesheffieldpress.com]

8 days ago

Rachel Reid Addresses Season 2 Casting Backlash for Heated Rivalry [yve-style.com]

8 days ago

The Troy & Harris Heated Rivalry Casting Brings With It Lots of Questions [fangirlish.com]

8 days ago

“Heated Rivalry 2” Has Found Its Troy And Harris, And Rachel Reid Has Thoughts [www.dnamagazine.com.au]

7 days ago

Justice Smith y Charlie Gillespie se suman a la segunda temporada de “Más que rivales” – Funcinema [www.funcinema.com.ar]

8 days ago

Justice Smith y Charlie Gillespie se unen al elenco de MÁS QUE RIVALES en su segunda temporada. - Ossom! [www.ossom.cl]

7 days ago

Rivalidad Caliente: Nuevas Parejas que se besan; Troy y Harris llegan a la Temporada 2 - La Covacha [lacovacha.mx]

8 days ago

Heated Rivalry Saisons 2 : Justice Smith et Charlie Gillespie rejoignent la série de hockey Netflix, ce que l'on sait. | Series 80 [www.series-80.net]

7 days ago

« Heated Rivalry » : pourquoi le casting de la saison 2 fait (déjà) pleurer Internet [www.telerama.fr]

8 days ago

Ecco chi sono Charlie Gillespie e Justice Smith, i nuovi protagonisti di Heated Rivalry 2 (al fianco di Ilya e Shane) [www.vanityfair.it]

7 days ago

HEATED RIVALRY RETURNS TO SKY FOR SECOND SERIES, NEW CAST MEMBERS ANNOUNCED [www.tvzoneuk.com]

7 days ago

Rachel Reid defends Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie Heated Rivalry season 2 casting [www.attitude.co.uk]

7 days ago

Heated Rivalry S2: Scott and Kip Are Back + The Set Asking For Privacy | Instinct Magazine [instinctmagazine.com]

7 days ago

‘Heated Rivalry’ Author Rachel Reid Responds To Season Two Casting Backlash - [television.mxdwn.com]

8 days ago

Justice Smith Responds to ‘Heated Rivalry’ Casting Backlash: “Give Me the Chance” [www.cosmopolitan.com]

7 days ago

Rachel Reid Appears To Dismiss 'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 Casting Backlash [deadline.com]

8 days ago

Heated Rivalry Author Rachel Reid Reacts to Criticism Over Season 2 Casting [www.eonline.com]

8 days ago

Justice Smith 'Honoured' To Join Heated Rivalry Season 2 As Fans React To Casting [www.huffingtonpost.co.uk]

7 days ago

Everything we know about Heated Rivalry season 2 as casting news confirmed [www.thepinknews.com]

7 days ago

Justice Smith Responds to ‘Heated Rivalry’ Casting: “I Am Moved by the Support and Love” [www.hollywoodreporter.com]

7 days ago