Beloved Netflix Romance Series Canceled, But Gets a Movie

Heartstopper may not be coming back for Season 4, but the series isn’t flatlining just yet.

Six months after Season 3 premiered, Netflix announced on the third anniversary of Heartstopper‘s 2022 series premiere Tuesday that the show will not be renewed for a fourth and final season. Rather, the popular show will wrap up Nick and Charlie’s story in a Heartstopper movie.

The upcoming film will be executive produced by the series’ leads Joe Locke and Kit Connor, who will also star. Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice, Colette) will direct the movie, which will be based on the upcoming sixth and final volume of Alice Oseman’s graphic book series.

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“I am completely overjoyed that we will get to tell the end of the Heartstopper story,” Oseman 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.”

Set to begin filming this summer, the feature film will pick up after the events of the Season 3 finale, which saw Nick, Charlie, and their friends taking their relationships to new levels. Per an official synopsis, “After Season 3, the couple is 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, Nick and Charlie’s friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on.”

Based on Oseman’s LGBTQ+ webcomic, Heartstopper is a coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama that centers around the relationship between British teens Charlie and Nick. After their friendships blossoms into romance, Charlie and Nick, along with their group of friends, “must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.”

Over the course of its three seasons, Heartstopper not only garnered a 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with its two most recent seasons earning 100% ratings, but also drew praise for its LGBTQ representation.

A publication date for Heartstopper Vol. 6 has not been announced, though Deadline reported that Oseman has said she’d like the book to be released before the series’ conclusion. The Heartstopper film also doesn’t yet have a premiere date.