Are you in need of a wholesome high school gay romance?Heartstopperhas got you covered. This upcomingNetflixadaptation produced by See-Saw Films is based on a popular Webtoon comic by an English young adult fiction author Alice Oseman, that later became a series of graphic novels spanning four volumes to date. The story features two characters from her debut novelSolitaire, published when she was only nineteen. Dubbed as “The Catcher in the Ryefor the digital age” byThe Times, it had earned them comparisons with the author of the bestselling international phenomenonThe Fault In Our Stars, John Green.
Oseman penned theHeartstopperscript herself and was involved in the casting. The fans of the webcomic have been anxiously anticipating their favourite characters coming to life on screen since the series was first announced at the beginning of last year. It is directed by Euros Lyn, known forhis work onDoctor Who,Sherlock,Black Mirror, andDaredevil. We have no doubt it will be nothing short of wonderfully heartstopping. Let’s take a look at all the details we have so far.
In an interview withSZW, Oseman describes the book’s plot as:
“Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie, an openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a soft-hearted rugby player. The two boys meet at an all-boys grammar school (a type of selective single-sex high school we have here in the south-east of England!) and quickly become friends, despite their many differences. When Charlie starts falling for Nick, he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick’s a little more interested in Charlie than Charlie thinks…”
Charlie and Nick were already in a happy relationship when they first appeared inSolitaireas side characters. The author couldn’t help but ponder about their past and how they ended up together, which led her to an idea for her first webcomic series.
They both meet for the first time when they’re seated next to each other in a form class. Charlie helps Nick with his homework, and Nick convinces him to join his rugby team. During an altercation between Charlie and a boy named Ben, whom he has been seeing, Nick steps in to protect Charlie. Soon enough, they become really close. Charlie has experienced his share of homophobic bullying since he came out, while Nick is still coming to terms with his newfound interest in boys as he learns he might be bisexual. Eventually, they realize that they are truly meant for each other.
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Oseman identifies as aromantic asexual, and they had been bringing their underrepresented perspective into the young adult literature notoriously saturated with love stories. She explained how she felt about focusing on romantic storytelling for a change:
“I think that when it comes to queer relationships, there’s no need to hold back the romance. I used to think I’d never feature a big romance in my works because it’s been ‘overdone’, but I grew to learn that romance hasn’t been overdone if you’re a marginalized person. There are so, so many romances out there that are cis, straight, white, and able-bodied. But outside of that, there still isn’t much variety.”
In the role of Charlie, we will see Joe Locke, who is completely new to the world of acting but, nevertheless, the best fit for this charming fictional character out of hundreds of candidates. On the other hand, his love interest Nick is portrayed by well-accomplished film star Kit Connor, who started acting at the age of eight. He was cast in a 2019 mystery drama Little Joe in the Elton John biopicRocketmanas his child self. He has also voiced Lara’s daemon Pantalaimon in the BBC seriesHis Dark Materials,based on the popular children’s fantasy trilogy by Philip Pullman, which will be coming back for itslast season later this year.
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The egocentric schoolmate Ben, who was leading Charlie on while he secretly dated a girl, is played by Sebastian Croft, who is best known for the role ofyoung Ned Stark in Game of Thronesflashback scenes and who also appeared inDoom PatrolandPenny Dreadful. Jenny Walser is another new actor, and she plays the role of Tori, Charlie’s older sister, who is also the protagonist and narrator inSolitaire.The adult part of the cast includesThe Girl With All The GiftsandBananaactor Fisayo Akinade,The Batman’s lead detective Joseph Balderrama, and Chetna Pandya, known for her parts inThe AliensandLife Of Duty.
Along with Locke, there are a few more promising talents without prior acting experience, like Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, and Rhea Norwood.Oseman has nothing but words of praisefor the novices in the cast:
“We’ve found an incredibly talented group of young actors who are all super passionate about bringing this story to life.’ The studio’s executive producer Patrick Walters is just as optimistic about their selection: ‘Heartstopperis a show that celebrates individuality, promotes acceptance and above all puts a smile on your face. This cast does exactly that, bringing heart, humour and complexity to their roles.”
Release Date
Heartstopperwill have eight 30-minute long episodes, and it is set to premiere on Netflix on July 13, 2025. The official trailer is now available. It does not seem to be classed as limited series, which means that depending on its success, season two may still be confirmed later. Fingers crossed.
