Tierney Confirms 'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 Filming Begins August
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- Jacob Tierney accepted the Showrunner Award remotely via pre-recorded video at the 3rd Critics Choice Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television in Los Angeles on Friday.
- In his speech, Tierney said he is 'working very hard on Season 2 to get it out to people as soon as possible' and apologized for not attending in person.
- Tierney thanked producing partner Brendan Brady, author Rachel Reid, and the cast and crew of the Crave/HBO Max series.
- Season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry' will be based on Rachel Reid's 'The Long Game,' the only other current book in the series that focuses on Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).
- 'The Long Game' picks up 10 years into Shane and Ilya's secret relationship — Ilya wants to go public, but Shane feels they should stay closeted to remain at the top of his game.
- Film on Season 2 is expected to begin in August, after Tierney completes writing the episodes.
- Rachel Reid's next book, 'Unrivaled,' resumes the Ilya and Shane story on Sept. 29.
Why it matters: The Season 2 commitment to 'The Long Game' locks in a decade time jump and a public-vs-private tension for Shane and Ilya, giving the series a clear tonal pivot from Season 1's hidden hookups. The August filming start, contingent on Tierney finishing scripts, sets a concrete production runway for that storyline to reach viewers.
