Heartstopper fans and long-term supporters of lovers Nick and Charlie want to know: will we be getting a Heartstopper season 4? The answer is yes, kind of, and no. Netflix have confirmed that the final instalment of the series will be a feature-length film.
Alice Oseman's gorgeous queer graphic novels have had us all fall in love. From teen couple Nick and Charlie's romantic story to the amazing friendship group they form, watching Heartstopper is feels like a soothing cup of tea.
“I am completely overjoyed that we will get to tell the end of the Heartstopper story," Alice has said. "I’m so grateful to everyone who has worked hard to make this possible and to the incredible fans of Heartstopper for your patience and passion. I cannot wait to bring this story to a magical conclusion."
‘It’s not comfortable to be queer. You can’t just be yourself the whole time’
The show has garnered huge support and recognition for its spotlighting of queerness, gender fluidity, asexuality and much more for young people. It has also acted as a breakthrough for supporting cast such as Yasmin Finney, who has since starred in Doctor Who alongside Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa.
So, after season three's coverage of Charlie's mental health and the question of university for all of the gang, what comes next?
Here's everything we know so far about the next chapter of Heartstopper.
Heartstopper movie plot
Netflix has confirmed that the movie's “narrative [will be] based around the yet unreleased volume six of Alice Oseman’s graphic novels”.
The plot synopsis of the film reads as follows: "Nick and Charlie are inseparable, but with Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, their friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on. Can first loves really last forever?"
In an interview with The Guardian, Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman previously opened up about how it felt about volume six of her graphic novels being the final chapter of the story.
“I’m only 50 pages in, but I know what’s going to happen, what all the dialogue is going to be, and now I’m just sitting down and drawing it, which is my favourite bit," Alice said. "I’m really excited about what’s going to happen towards the end of the story, but it’s also very bittersweet. I also feel it’s absolutely the right time for it to end. It’s very sad, but it’s time.”
How many Heartstopper books are there?
There are plenty of Heartstopper books you can delve into as we wait patiently for the next instalment.
In total, there are six volumes of Heartstopper, the graphic novel written and illustrated by Alice Oseman which the series is based on. Better still, Oseman has been building this universe since her debut novel Solitaire (2014), with this book focusing on the story of Charlie's older sister Tori Spring and her relationship with Michael.
Though the final sixth volume of Heartstopper is yet to arrive, the good news is that Oseman has plenty of other books from the same universe which you can try out.
Overall, there are 11 books from Oseman to dip into. Here they are in timeline order:
- Heartstopper: Volume 1 (2018)
- Heartstopper: Volume 2 (2019)
- Heartstopper: Volume 3 (2020)
- This Winter (2015)
- Heartstopper: Volume 4 (2021)
- Solitaire (2014)
- Heartstopper: Volume 5 (2023)
- Heartstopper: Volume 6 (release date TBC)
- Nick and Charlie (2015)
- Radio Silence (2016)
- I Was Born For This (2018)
- Loveless (2020)
Heartstopper movie cast
All we know so far is that Kit Connor and Joe Locke will return as leads, as well as executive producers.
We also expect to see the return of their wonderful pals, though, including William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Rhea Norwood, Kizzy Edgell, Toby Donovan, Corrina Brown – and of course, Charlie's wonderfully sarcastic sister Tori, played by Jenny Walser, also needs to return – in or opinions, at least.
Olivia Colman also didn't appear in season three, in her role as Nick's adorable mum, due to scheduling problems – so we're hoping she'll be back too.
Plus, after Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey's cameo in season three, Kit Connor has opened up about wanting Andrew Scott to appear. He called the Fleabag actor "my answer to most things”, adding: “He’s brilliant. That would be great.”
Heartstopper movie release date
A release date has not been confirmed yet, but we do know that production is set to begin this summer. So we could hope for a 2026 release date. Alice has also said volume six of Heartstopper will be released before this.
Heartstopper movie trailer
We'll update this article with a Heartstopper movie trailer as soon as one drops.
