“Heartstopper,” Netflix’s hit teenage romantic drama, has started production on Season 2 in the U.K., with four new cast members joining the series based on Alice Oseman’s best selling graphic novels about the budding love story between the bashful Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and the earnest Nick Nelson (Kit Connor).
Jack Barton (Netflix’s “The Letter for the King”) has been cast as Nick’s older brother, David — a university student who is less than enthusiastic about Nick and Charlie’s relationship.
British stage actor Nima Taleghani (“Cyrano de Bergerac”) will play Mr. Farouk, one of the teachers at Truham Grammar School, where Nick and Charlie attend with their friends Tao (William Gao) and Isaac (Tobie Donovan).
After a nationwide casting call, newcomer Leila Khan will play Sahar Zahid, a student from the Higgs Girls school, where Nick and Charlie’s friends Elle (Yasmin Finney), Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) attend.
And Bradley Riches, who appeared as an unnamed student in Season 1 of “Heartstopper,” has been upped to a named character, James McEwan — a new character for the show.
Courtesy of Netflix
The first season of “Heartstopper” premiered Apr. 22 and quickly became a sensation, topping Variety‘s Trending TV chart for multiple consecutive weeks and winning wide acclaim for its engrossing and compassionate story of openly LGBTQ young love. The entire lead cast is returning for Season 2, including Connor, Locke, Finney, Gao, Brown, Edgell, Sebastian Croft as Ben, Tobie Donovan as Isaac, Rhea Norwood as Imogen, Jenny Walser as Tori and Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry.
Oseman created the show and wrote every episode of Season 1. She returns to do the same for Season 2.
See-Saw Films produces the show.
The Season 2 production announcement was accompanied by a video.