Crave’s hockey romance is no longer a single-season breakout. Deadline reported exclusively that Heated Rivalry is filming two six-episode seasons back-to-back, and a standalone holiday movie will follow the shoot in December.
From one season to a three-format bet
Sources told Deadline the production wraps the two seasons by late November or early December, then moves straight into a film described as a Christmas special or holiday-themed episode. The movie is planned for a theatrical release in December 2027 and will centre on Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.), rather than the lead pair Ilya and Shane.
Crave has not confirmed the projects. A representative told Deadline there are “no projects to confirm.” That matters: back-to-back pickups are often locked quietly before marketing begins, so buyer and partner conversations should treat this as an exclusive signal, not an official slate commitment.
Why the theatrical experiment matters
The franchise already has cinema data. Season 1 episodes are playing as paired screenings at Regal, AMC and Cinemark in the U.S. Deadline said 880 theatres reported $420,000 in Friday grosses, putting the limited run on course for a $1.3 million opening weekend.
For entertainment marketers, that is a useful benchmark: a streaming-first romance can convert superfans into paying theatrical audiences at modest scale.
- 12 episodes: two six-episode seasons filming back-to-back.
- December 2027: standalone Scott-Kip film planned for theatres.
- $1.3 million: projected opening weekend for paired Season 1 episodes in U.S. cinemas.
The strategy behind the silence
Creator Jacob Tierney already confirmed Season 2 will run six episodes, not a supersized 12, after a leaked Cameo video from Dylan Walsh mentioned “12 [episodes].” The confusion matches the pattern: talent can hint at a full order while the platform stays quiet. Season 2 remains on track for spring 2027, likely April.
Season 2 is expected to continue Shane and Ilya’s story using Book 6, The Long Game, and introduce a new couple from Role Model, played by Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie.
What to do with this
Treat fan-led demand as a media signal. Track leaked talent comments, event-cinema grosses and creator confirmations separately — don’t merge them into one official plan. If the film lands in theatres, the test is whether a holiday-themed side-couple story can hold a theatrical audience without the central romance.
Source: Deadline
