Breaking News: Exclusive Insights into the Delays of 'Heartstopper' Season 3 Amidst WGA and SAG Strike

Joe Locke and Kit Connor. Teddy Cavendish/Netflix

Amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes causing numerous television shows to halt production, it appears that season 3 of Netflix's Heartstopper is still in progress. Ahead of the upcoming August release of season 2, creator Alice Oseman, who is also the author of the graphic novels that served as the show's inspiration, provided an update on its development.

"The release date for The Heartstopper Volume 5 has been rescheduled to December 7th (UK/Ire/Aus/NZ) and December 19th (US)! The book is turning out to be longer than expected, and I am currently busy writing scripts for season 3 of the Heartstopper TV show this summer. As a result, I realized that I needed some additional time to complete the illustrations," wrote Oseman, 28, on Instagram on Wednesday, July 19. "I apologize for the slight delay, but I assure you it will be worth the wait! Thank you for your continued support of the series!"

While Oseman is diligently working on new episodes, a number of showrunners have taken a break to demonstrate solidarity with entertainment unions. In May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced their decision to go on strike due to a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. (The AMPTP represents major companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount, and Sony.)

Some TV shows, such as Netflix's Outer Banks, initially proceeded with production using scripts that were likely completed prior to the commencement of picket lines. Nevertheless, Hollywood came to a halt earlier this month when SAG-AFTRA launched its own strike.

Gao and Finney from Netflix/See-Saw face restrictions on filming new theatrical content as part of SAG-AFTRA due to union regulations. However, exceptions to the rule include projects like HBO's House of the Dragon and Max's Dune: The Sisterhood, which employ mainly U.K. actors and adhere to Equity guidelines, preventing strikes.

Heartstopper is created by See-Saw Films, a British-Australian company that specializes in film and television production. The series showcases an array of esteemed British actors such as Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood, Jenny Walser, and Sebastian Croft.

Rhea Norwood takes on the role of Imogen, while the TV adaptation, premiered in April 2022, centers around Nick (Connor), a high school athlete who begins to explore his sexuality after striking up a friendship with Charlie (Locke), another fellow student.

Oseman has previously emphasized the significance of maintaining a lighthearted tone in the LGBTQ representation of the show.

During an interview with Netflix's Tudum in April 2022, the screenwriter expressed, "There is currently a lot of queer content on TV, but most of it is geared towards adults. Many queer stories tend to be serious or focused on trauma." Oseman then proceeded to highlight the joyful moments in the show, stating, "I always believe that tropes exist for a reason. While tropes may be considered overused, when they involve marginalized characters, you may not have actually encountered them as frequently as you think."

Season 2 of Heartstopper is set to premiere August 3 on Netflix.