Kit Connor and Joe Locke have retired their Nick and Charlie characters for good, as Netflix wrapped production for the finale of Heartstopper, which will be in the feature film format. Netflix also announced that the series will premiere on the platform in 2026. 

Apart from playing the protagonists, Kit Connor and Joe Locke also serve as executive producers of the finale. Connor and Locke are returning as leads from the series, along with creator Alice Oseman, whose upcoming sixth volume is being made into a film. The graphic novel is set to be released later this year.

The coming-of-age TV series tells the story of Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a gay teen boy who falls in love with classmate Nick (Nicholas) Nelson (Kit Connor), whom he sits next to in his new form. It also explores the lives of their friendship group: Tao Xu (William Gao), Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney), Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan), Tara Jones (Corinna Brown), and Darcy Olsson (Kizzy Edgell).

While Euros Lyn directed the first two seasons, Andy Newbery helmed the third season of Heartstopper. The upcoming film will be directed by Wash Westmoreland from a screenplay by Oseman.

"After Season 3, the couple is inseparable. The reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on Nick, who is preparing to leave for university, and Charlie, who is finding new independence at school. 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," the synopsis of the upcoming Heartstopper film reads.