Olivia Colman will not be returning for Season 3 of Netflix’s Heartstopper.
“I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,” the Oscar-winner told Fortune in an interview today. And it’s not because she doesn’t want to. Colman, who recurred in the series as Sarah Nelson, called the series “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.”
Last May shortly after Season 1 debuted, Heartstopper got a rare — for Netflix — two-season pickup.
Netflix announced last week that the eight-episode Season 3 will premiere in October.
Creator Alice Oseman took to her Instagram Story today to address the series’ evolution in Season 3.
“Nick’s story from the comics is still there, still infinitely important to me, and Sarah’s role as emotional support for Nick will shift to other characters in the story for now. If we get a season four, I would love for Olivia to be a part of it again!”
In Season 3, per the official logline: “Charlie would like to tell Nick that he loves him. Nick also has something important to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realize that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges. As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.”
Deadline reported last year that Heartstopper is one of Netflix’s best-reviewed series with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has also drawn praise for its LGBTQ representation. The show topped Twitter trends for several weeks, catapulting leads Kit Connor and Joe Locke to celebrity status, with their Instagram followings exploding from just over 100K each before the series’ premiere to 3.4 million (Connor) and 2.5 million (Locke). On TikTok, #heartstopper amassed over 4.3B views.
Cast also includes Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell and Tobie Donovan.
Series is written and executive produced by Oseman, who also serves as showrunner. Patrick Walters executive produces and Andy Newbery directs Season 3.