After months of silence, the future of Heartstopper – the beloved coming-of-age series that captured our hearts (and the world's) – is finally clear. While fans had hoped for a fourth season, Netflix has confirmed something arguably more exciting: a feature film that will serve as the show’s official finale.
Starring Joe Locke and Kit Connor, who return as Nick and Charlie, the movie will bring the show's three seasons-long story to its official conclusion. With creator Alice Oseman back to write the script, and direction from acclaimed filmmaker Wash Westmoreland, the film promises a heartfelt sendoff that honours everything Heartstopper has come to represent.
What's more, one-half of the leading duo, Joe Locke has given an update on the film, saying it is well under way.
“It’s going great, we’re almost two-thirds of the way through shooting now, and everything, touch wood, is going well,” Locke told the BBC. “We’re having a great time doing it, it’s a really nice closing chapter of the story.”
Below, everything we know about the Heartstopper film so far.
When will the Heartstopper film premiere?
Nick and Charlie’s story will be continuing in the very near future — on July 17, 2026 to be exact. The film will go direct to streaming on Netflix.
Olivia Coleman won't return
Not only that, but her character has actually been recast. Coleman originally played Sarah, Nick's mum. But if you watched season three you might have noticed she was absent due to filming availability, replaced in part by actress Haley Atwell as Nick's aunt.
Now that's set to carry through to the feature film, with Anna Maxwell Martin set to take over the role of Sarah.
Speaking to Tudum about the change, Oseman said, “When beginning to work on the Heartstopper Forever screenplay, I knew how important it was that Sarah, Nick’s mum, appeared in the story. Since season one, we have seen how close Nick is with his mum; she’s one of the few people he can turn to in moments of crisis. While in Season three, we were able to tweak the story to avoid any appearance of Sarah, it felt nonsensical for her to be absent from this final chapter, given some of the emotional struggles Nick faces.
She continued, “Sadly, Olivia Colman was not able to join us for the film, so we made the very difficult decision to recast the role, rather than exclude the character."
So who is involved?
Thankfully, despite their careers taking off since Heartstopper first began, both Locke and Connor are back on board. In addition to starring in the film, they'll also serve as executive producers, while Wash Westmoreland has signed on to direct.
Why has Netflix opted for a movie in lieu of a fourth season?
Though Season 3 of Heartstopper maintained a loyal following, its viewership didn’t quite justify the cost of another full season. Still, the show's cultural impact—particularly its role in reshaping LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media—made it clear that the story deserved a proper, thoughtful conclusion. A feature film offers the chance to bring Nick and Charlie’s journey to a meaningful close, with the creative freedom and emotional weight that a finale of this scale calls for.
What will the movie be about?
Creator Alice Oseman, whose original novels became a global touchpoint for queer youth, is back to pen the screenplay. The movie will draw from the upcoming sixth and final volume of the Heartstopper graphic novel, as well as Oseman’s novella Nick and Charlie.
“I am completely overjoyed that we will get to tell the end of the Heartstopper story,” Oseman said in a statement. “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.”
As for the actual plot, the film is set to follow as Nick heads off to university, Charlie finds his own voice at school, and the gravity of a long-distance relationship threatens to pull them apart.
