‘Heartstopper’ EP Patrick Walters on How He Turned the Queer Graphic Novel Into a Netflix Show
K.J. Yossman Originating as a Tumblr webcomic by U.K. writer and illustrator Alice Oseman, upcoming Netflix series “Heatstopper” tells the story of two British teenagers, Nick and Charlie, who navigate their friendship as their feelings turn romantic.Patrick Walters, head of development at production company See-Saw, first came across the queer comic in 2018 when Oseman launched a Kickstarter campaign from her bedroom to turn the series into a graphic novel, and immediately knew it was crying out for an on-screen adaptation.Four years and one pandemic later, “Heartstopper” will drop on Netflix on Friday, April 22.
Walters sat down with Variety ahead of the launch to talk about the process of bringing the series from page to screen. Congratulations on the imminent launch!
How are you feeling about it?I’m really excited. We did a content day with the cast last week so I saw them all again and I spent time with Alice and everyone’s just so excited.
And because they’re so young, it’s really nice being around that energy, where it’s like, the rest of their lives are about to begin.
