Two very special things happened on Netflix in the spring of 2022. The first was the long-awaited return of Bridgerton, with Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony stepping up for his turn to look for love. His slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they romance with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) saw he and his co-star acquire an army of “Kanthony” stans, and (in this writer’s humble opinion) trumped Daphne and Simon’s of Season 1.
Weeks later came the runaway hit Heartstopper, Netflix’s queer coming-of-age drama adapted from Alice Oseman’s wildly successful graphic novels of the same name. It too made stars of its cast—namely Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Yasmin Finney, and Will Gao—and just a month after its release, it was renewed for a second and third season.
Now, these two fictional worlds will briefly unite, as Jonathan Bailey has joined the cast of Heartstopper for a cameo role in the forthcoming third season. And to top it all off? In the latest sneak peek of Season 3, fans are treated to an exclusive snippet of Billie Eilish’s new track “Birds of a Feather” from her upcoming album Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Here’s everything we know so far.
Who’s in the cast this time?
All of the main cast members are expected to return. Fans can look forward to seeing more from Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney (Elle), William Gao (Tao), Tobie Donovan (Isaac), Corinna Brown (Tara), Kizzy Edgell (Darcy), Rhea Norwood (Imogen), and Jenny Walser (Tori).
Excitingly, Jonathan Bailey will join the cast as Jack Maddox, an Instagram-famous author and Charlie’s celebrity crush. That’s not all: Hayley Atwell and Eddie Marsan will also appear. Atwell will play Nick’s aunt, who takes him on vacation to Menorca and gives him some sage advice about his relationship with Charlie, while Marsen will star as Charlie’s “wise and straight-talking” therapist, Geoff. Darragh Hand will join as Michael Holden, a beloved character from Oseman’s first novel, Solitaire.
What’s the plot?
Season 2 ended on Nick and Charlie’s heart-to-heart. “Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through Season 3,” Oseman told Netflix. “While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up. Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood.”
When is Heartstopper season 3 out?
Eight episodes will arrive on Netflix on October 3.