Heartstopper season 2: Release date, plot and latest news
The official release date for the hit Netflix show has been confirmed.
Netflix’s Heartstopper is back for another season of romance and adventure.
Season 2 follows the lives of Nick, Charlie and their friends as they face new challenges in life, love and friendship: including a school trip to Paris, a prom and an unwelcome visit from Nick’s homophobic older brother.
There's also "unforeseen challenges for Tara and Darcy" in store, while "Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends".
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We can also look forward to a whole new transformation for Tao, which has already gone down well among fans.
Yes, Tao is boasting a new cut and fresh 'do after formerly sporting a grungy longer look - which wasn't too popular with viewers.
"When writing both the comic and the show, I try to focus on my own vision for the story and not give too much weight to the expectations of the readers and viewers," Oseman added.
"But, of course, as a very online person, I read a lot of opinions about Heartstopper, and it's impossible to stop that having some impact on my thought process when plotting the show.
"It's sometimes helpful – for example, hearing that people absolutely hated Tao's hair. I do like to know what people want to see in the show!"
Netflix previously unveiled the opening scene for season 2 as part of its fan event TUDUM, which sees Charlie and Nick establish their relationship as official. Watch below:
The LGBTQ+ teen drama immediately blew up when it premiered back on the streamer in April 2022, amassing a huge fan base and earning a multi-season renewal in May.
Alongside the returning Kit Connor and Joe Locke, the entire main cast will be back for the second season, and they'll be joined by a plethora of new faces, with Bel Priestley, Ash Self and Thibault De Montalembert all joining the original movers and shakers.
Naomi (Priestley) and Felix (Self) are "new friends" of Elle, while Stephane (Montalembert) is Nick's (Connor) father.
Meanwhile, Chetna Pandya will return as Coach Singh, Fisayo Akinade as Mr Ajayi, Alan Turkington as Mr Lange and Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson, meaning we can expect some drama between her and her ex, Stephane.
Read on for everything you need to know about the second season of the Netflix series, including when we can expect it to land and what's in store for the characters.
Heartstopper season 2 release date: When is it coming out on Netflix?
Heartstopper season 2 became available to watch on Netflix on Thursday 3rd August 2023.
The streamer announced the premiere date with an exciting behind-the-scenes clip, which features various Heartstopper stars talking about what fans can expect from the hotly-anticipated second season of the LGBTQ+ drama.
"There's so many things with Elle this season that you're not ready for," Finney says of her character in the footage, before adding, "I would say it is different in the sense she's more confident. She surrounds herself with people that elevate her."
Connor adds: "Alice has got some amazing scripts for us. It also feels cool and fresh. Just a different vibe to season 1," while Locke says of his character: "Charlie goes on more of a journey. His story's a bit more mature."
And in exciting news, we have some brand new images to enjoy from the sophomore season.
The streamer confirmed that Heartstopper will return for a second and third season on the platform back in May 2022.
The streamer penned at the time: "To those who have fallen in love with Nick & Charlie, cried watching Alice Oseman's magical story brought to life, or felt represented for the first time on-screen, I am elated to announce... Heartstopper has been renewed for TWO MORE SEASONS!"
And there could be more on the horizon! When speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, writer and creator Alice Oseman revealed that they have a rough idea of how many episodes they would need to deliver a complete live-action adaptation of their comic books.
"It would probably be four seasons to cover the full story," they said. "I haven't done any in-detail planning or anything, but it's quite easy to divide up the books into seasons, so four I think would do it."
Heartstopper season 2 episode titles
The episode titles for the second season were also unveiled during the TUDUM broadcast, and are as follows:
- Out
- Family
- Promise
- Challenge
- Heat
- Truth/Dare
- Sorry
- Perfect
Who stars in Heartstopper season 2? New and returning characters
The following stars are returning for Heartstopper season 2:
- Joe Locke as Charlie Spring
- Kit Connor as Nick Nelson
- Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson
- William Gao as Tao Xu
- Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent
- Corinna Brown as Tara Jones
- Kizzy Edgell as Darcy Olsson
- Sebastian Croft as Ben Hope
- Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry Greene
- Rhea Norwood as Imogen Heaney
- Tobie Donovan as Isaac Henderson
- Jenny Walser as Tori Spring
- Fisayo Akinade as Mr Ajayi
- Chetna Pandya as Coach Singh
- Alan Turkington as Mr Lange
New additions include:
- Sahar Zahid a Higgs student
- Jack Barton as David Nelson (Nick’s older brother)
- Bradley Riches as James McEwan (a Truham student)
- Nima Taleghani as Mr Farouk (a Truham teacher)
- Bel Priestley as Naomi (a new friend of Elle)
- Ash Self as Felix (a new friend of Elle)
- Thibault De Montalembert as Stephane (Sarah's ex)
Heartstopper season 2 plot: What will happen?
A second season of Heartstopper will explore all the nuances and heartwarming moments of Charlie and Nick's romance as they navigate exams, a school trip to Paris and a prom!
The official plot for season 2 also teases "unforeseen challenges for Tara and Darcy", while "Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends".
As discussed previously, there is also ample material from the Heartstopper source works to continue on from in the second run.
Writer Alice Oseman revealed: "The challenges of adapting something that's a comic for TV is that some things that are in a comic just don't work for TV. Like Heartstopper, the comics, is a very low-stakes story.
"Problems are resolved pretty much immediately, which isn't normally how TV works, so we had to add a bit more drama – a bit more angst – into the show.
"And also, we expanded the world of Heartstopper as well. We got to explore the side characters of Heartstopper in a lot more depth when there's not really much room for that in the comics. But that was all part of the fun of it."
Speaking to Jane Garvey and TV critic Rhianna Dhillon during a live recording of the Radio Times Podcast at the BFI & Radio Times TV Festival last year, Connor spoke about his hopes for season 2: "I suppose what I'd like to see for Nick, I think just strengthening Nick and Charlie's relationship.
"In season 1, we very much see the young love and the beginnings of their relationship, and I think that it would be lovely... to see their relationship get stronger and blossom."
Creator Alice Oseman recently said that the new season of the much-loved LGBTQ+ teen drama will concentrate on the evolution of the characters, as their identities, relationships and outlook mature with time.
"I don’t want Heartstopper to be the same every season," Oseman told Netflix. "I want each season to feel like an evolution, to tackle new ideas and themes, and for us to see the characters changing and growing, while also preserving the hopeful heart of Heartstopper.
"In season two, the characters are all maturing in their romances, their identities, and their outlooks on life and the future. They all feel a little older and wiser, and with that comes a whole host of new experiences and emotions."
So expect the world of Heartstopper to continue to be explored.
- Heartstopper volumes 1-4 are available to buy on Amazon
Heartstopper season 2 trailer: When can I watch it?
Not yet. However, as detailed above, there is an official behind-the-scenes clip to enjoy, in which the Heartstopper gang discuss what fans can expect from their characters in the second season.
We'll update this article as soon as the trailer arrives.
Heartstopper season 1 is available to stream on Netflix now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.
