Prepare your hearts! Upcoming Netflix romance Heartstopper is coming out on April 22, and fans cannot wait.

Based on the web-comic and graphic novel series of the same name by Alice Oseman, Heartstopper is a young-adult LGTBQ+ series that follows the love story between two teenage boys named Charlie and Nick. The comic currently has 500,000 subscribers on Webtoon, just one of its online platforms. 

Oseman, 27, wrote the new series’ script and oversaw every detail from the costumes to its casting. In an interview with the Guardian, the writer said it was integral for the teens to be played by teens, and not twentysomethings which has become the norm. “There aren’t enough shows where teens are played by real teens,” said Oseman.

The show stars Kit Connor, known for his role as young Elton John in Rocketman, as Nick, newcomer Joe Locke as Charlie, William Gao as Tao and TikTok sensation Yasmin Finney as Elle.

The cast is also joined by Corinna Brown as Tara and Jenny Walser as Tori Spring. Sebastian Croft, who has been featured on popular series such as Game of Thrones and Doom Patrol, will play Ben Hope.

On March 16, Netflix released the first teaser for the show which show Charlie, Nick and their friends working their way through school. Eagle-eyed fans spotted several shots in the trailer that directly mirror panels from the comics. 

The show and comic is a reflection of the experience of being LGBT+ in school, as both Charlie and Nick attend an all-boys prep academy. Charlie has come out of the closet and is the receiver of a lot of hateful jokes about being gay, which is something Oseman was determined to portray as the author had similar experiences. 

“When I meet teenagers who have read my books, from some I get the impression they’ve had such a better experience being LGBT+ in school now, but for others, it sounds exactly the same,” they said. “I like to think overall things have got better, but it’s still not blissful amazingness everywhere.”

Scroll through our gallery for all of the details behind Netflix’s upcoming movie, Heartstopper.

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