Alice Oseman reveals why the ending of ‘Heartstopper’ will arrive as a film and explains how the story will evolve alongside Nick and Charlie.
Fans of Heartstopper are already counting down the days until they say goodbye to one of the most beloved LGBTQ+ stories of recent years. Instead of a fourth season, Netflix will bring the series to a close with Heartstopper Forever, a film that will definitively conclude the journey of Nick, Charlie and the rest of the characters created by Alice Oseman.
Now, the author and creator of the series has explained why she decided to change the format of the farewell and how she approached one of the topics that has generated the most debate among fans: the natural evolution of the relationship between its protagonists.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Oseman admits that the film will allow them to focus much more closely on the main story. “I felt that we could either keep an ensemble approach, where everyone would have a shorter storyline, or make a film focused on Nick and Charlie. I thought that would result in a better film because it would allow us to really follow them on that journey without feeling as though we were leaving too much out,” she explains.
Even so, she insists that the rest of the characters will not be pushed into the background. “It was very important to me that everyone had their moment of farewell. We want to know where they are now and what will happen to them in the future, so I made sure that everyone had their goodbye in the film,” she adds.
Another subject that has followed the series since its earliest seasons has been the debate over whether it should show a more adult evolution in Nick and Charlie’s relationship. For Alice Oseman, the answer was always clear.
“There is so much debate about whether there should be sex in Heartstopper or not. It seems people never agree. What I have learnt from writing this story is that you have to tell the story you truly want to tell. When something becomes as big as Heartstopper, it is impossible to please everyone,” she says.
The writer points out that both the characters and the viewers have grown together over the years. “Every time we have returned to the series, we have tried to make it a little more mature because we wanted it to grow at the same pace as the characters and also the audience. Nick and Charlie are practically entering adulthood, and we know that sex is part of their relationship, so it felt completely natural to include it. Besides, it also happens in the books,” she explains.
With the premiere getting closer, Oseman admits that bringing this story to an end has been a deeply emotional experience.
“Right now, everything feels bittersweet. I am very sad to say goodbye to these characters because I am going to miss them so much. It is very exciting to bring these stories to a close, but at the same time I feel an enormous sense of pride and happiness at having been able to end the story exactly as I wanted,” she confesses.
Although the farewell will be difficult for millions of fans, Heartstopper Forever promises to become the definitive ending Alice Oseman always imagined for Nick, Charlie and the universe that won over an entire generation of readers and viewers.
