Joe Locke explains why the Netflix hit coming-of-age series, Heartstopper, should end with a movie. Last month, the streamer announced that the Locke and Kit Connor-headlined YA romance will end in a full-length feature movie instead of a fourth season. Based on Alice Oseman’s upcoming sixth and final graphic novel Nick and Charlie, the new movie will pick up after season 3’s finale, in which Nick and Charlie have decided to take their relationship to a new level. Filming is expected to start in the summer.
In an interview with The Playlist, Locke, who plays Charlie Spring in the Netflix series, provided a filming update and explained why a new movie is the best way to conclude Charlie and Nick’s journey instead of another season. Locke identified scheduling as the key reason, which would allow them to “put in a lot of the same love and care into the characters” while being able to finish the story. He also believed that a movie is more “cinematic.” Check out his comments below:
We are all in such different places. From the moment we filmed the first season, and in our careers, and everyone’s so busy, which is great, it means everyone’s being successful and doing things. I think the time it would’ve taken to film a series, we just wouldn’t have been able to get everyone in the same place for five years. Then by that time, there would be no need for it. So, we realized that the only way to get it made this year is if we do a film because it’s less time commitment, and well, we can still put in a lot of the same love and care into the characters, into finishing off the story. And it’s also, it’s a really nice chapter closer. It makes it feel more cinematic, more grand, and gives it the ending it deserves, which I am really excited to start shooting. And the script is great.
Yeah, we start shooting very soon.
What Joe Locke’s Comments Mean For The Heartstopper Movie
The Heartstopper Movie Could Arrive This Year
Production for the Heartstopper movie will take place sooner rather than later. Show creator and novelist Alice Oseman has previously shared that while moving forward with a movie seemed like a huge change and sudden news for viewers, the creative team has been working towards it since they finished filming season 3 in 2023. Locke’s comments confirm that production will take place very soon.
Depending on the budget and size, the time between a Netflix movie’s wrap production to arriving on the streaming platform varies from a few months to over a year. Since Heartstopper season 1’s release in 2022, the show has maintained a steady release schedule of one season per year. Locke’s comment about scheduling being the main reason could also suggest a shorter production, which means the movie might arrive later this year.
Our Take On The Heartstopper Movie
It Sounds Like The Perfect Choice
In Heartstopper season 3’s ending, Charlie and Nick have arrived at a pivotal point in their teen-to-young adult life. Nick is considering going to college, while Charlie still has a year left in high school. How they’ll navigate their relationship as they start making important decisions in their lives will be a central theme in the movie. With no more cliffhangers, the movie is set to wrap up the characters’ journey, which makes the form an unusual but perfect choice.
Heartstopper doesn’t need another eight to 10 episodes to give the characters a perfect sendoff, but it needs to address the season 3 finale’s cliffhanger so that the series can end. Joe Locke’s comments shed some light on the behind-the-scenes logistics, which also makes the movie the best option to give the series a proper ending.
Source: The Playlist
