Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman has assured fans that the upcoming movie will be "even more beautiful" than a regular season of the show.

Last week it was announced that Netflix had commissioned a feature-length film to end the coming-of-age teen drama rather than a fully-fledged fourth season, with Joe Locke and Kit Connor back on board as lovebirds Charlie and Nick.

"I totally understand if fans are a little apprehensive," Oseman said after some fans questioned why a regular season had not been commissioned instead. "It's a big change from what we know. It's something totally new and unknown, and yes, the runtime will be less than a TV season.

"Even I needed some time to process and come to terms with the change. But once I began to see the entire vision, I knew it would be something even more beautiful than a regular season could achieve.

"We are feeling very ambitious about what is possible in a movie format. With no need for end-of-episode cliff-hangers or a new twist every episode, every part of Heartstopper can be elevated to a higher quality to create something memorable, sophisticated, and atmospheric."

Talking about the plotline for the final chapter, she revealed: "The most pressing issue for Nick and Charlie, as we know from the end of season three, is that Nick will soon be leaving for university, effectively making Nick and Charlie a long-distance couple. For a teenage relationship, this is a pretty huge hurdle to overcome.

"Each of them has some conflicting feelings about this development. Nick isn't sure who he is without Charlie, and Charlie is nervous about being left behind. They have some work to do - both on their relationship and individually.

"Heartstopper's other protagonists are facing similar conundrums about their futures. Because it's not just the relationships that are being pulled in different directions, but the friendships too. I don't want to tease too much more yet!"

Filming on the Heartstopper movie is scheduled to take place later this summer.