Kit Connor and Joe Locke: 'Making a film like Heartstopper will forever be important'

Kit Connor and Joe Locke: 'Making a film like Heartstopper will forever be important'Image source, NetflixImage caption, Kit Connor (left) and Joe Locke (right) have played Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring in Heartstopper since 2022ByAnnabel RackhamCulture reporterPublished1 minute agoHeartstopper has been described as "a lifeline for many", external young LGBTQ+ viewers and something that has "changed countless lives", external through its heartwarming depiction of the secondary school romance between Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring.Based on Alice Oseman's book series, the Netflix adaptation is now coming to an end in the form of a film, to complete three TV series that have pulled some of the streamer's highest viewing figures to date.Heartstopper Forever follows the young male couple as they prepare for a huge relationship test - going long distance as Nick heads off to university and Charlie stays behind to finish his school exams.Joe Locke, who plays Charlie, tells the BBC the pair wanted to give their love story "a cinematic ending" with a "laser focus" on the tribulations of their two characters.Image source, NetflixImage caption, Kit Connor says working as a producer on the film alongside Joe Locke allowed them to be a "mouthpiece for the cast" The TV series has had largely positive reviews since its inception in 2022, with a very high score on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, external. It has dealt with a number of topics that many teenage and young adult viewers will be familiar with - such as sexual identity, mental health and bullying.Kit Connor, who plays Charlie's boyfriend Nick, says the "content works well as a film and final chapter" as "we've been through so much with these characters".The third series and film see a noticeable political shift from the previous series, as trans character Elle Argent (played by Yasmin Finney) addresses real-life issue...