our hearts are stopped

Kit Connor & Joe Locke reunite in NYC following Jonathan Bailey ‘Heartstopper’ casting rumors

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Two-panel image. On the left, Kit Connor with long strawberry blonde hair smiles in a black suit jacket and white dress shirt with his arm around Joe Locke, who has long shaggy brown hair and wears a red suit. In the right panel, Jonathan Bailey with short dark facial hair and dark brown hair smiles softly on a red carpet. He wears a black turtleneck under a gray suit jacket.

Our favorite boyfriends are together again! ♥️♥️♥️

It was a mini Heartstopper reunion on Broadway this weekend when Kit Connor and Tobie Donovan visited co-star Joe Locke at Sweeney Todd, where he’s currently portraying Tobias Ragg.

“Well done sweetheart,” Connor wrote in an Instagram Story post, alongside a pic of the three.

To say the adorable snapshot was a heartstopper in and of itself would be an understatement.

Fans have been starved for the next chapter in Charlie (Locke) and Nick’s (Connor) love story since the Netflix series’ second season dropped last August.

Details on the upcoming third season, which wrapped production in December, have been sparse –– apart from some choice rumors –– but more on that later.

It appears that the trio (including Donovan, who portrays Isaac on the show) got some quality time together in the city, with Locke sharing a pic of them in a crosswalk captioned “Gay Beatles.” LOL.

As it happens, Connor and Donovan weren’t the only queer celebs in attendance either.

Neil Patrick Harris, who played the same role as Locke in a 2001 concert, happened to be at the same show. (“From one Tobias to another: you were wonderful,” NPH wrote on Instagram. “What a pleasure.”)

Nevertheless, the Boys’ Night Matinee Out is hardly the biggest story in Heartstopper news.

Fans are speculating that Fellow Travelers hunk Jonathan Bailey is joining the cast after pics of the actor apparently in costume mysteriously appeared online.

In the photos, Bailey can be seen rocking a gray cardigan and some Clark Kent-esque glasses holding a book called 10 Things I Hate About Plato.

The pics reportedly appeared in a since-deleted post from private Instagram account @jack__maddox. However, Bailey’s casting hasn’t officially been announced and Netflix is yet to comment.

Still, we think the Heartstopper stans are on to something.

Bailey’s Jack Maddox character bears a striking resemblance to Henry Maddox, a character from Alice Oseman’s graphic novels who also has his own Instagram account.

In the original series, Maddox is a swoon-worthy English scholar that Nick and Charlie become infatuated with after attending a book signing. So, basically the kind of role Bailey was born to play!

Honestly, we couldn’t dream of a more perfect casting choice. And we’re not the only ones!

While we anxiously await confirmation from Netflix (and a release date!), there are a few things we know for certain about Season Three.

According to Oseman, Darragh Hand is joining the series as a love interest for Charlie’s sister Tori, and Sebastian Croft will not return as Charlie’s closeted ex-boyfriend Ben.

Plus, the premiere will likely provide an answer to Season 2’s cliff-hanger where Charlie contemplated texting Nick those three little words. (The episode itself is called “Love” for god’s sake!)

Furthermore, three words Locke used to describe the next chapter are: “Grown-up, hormonal and growth.”

It’s safe to say we are already seated!

Related:

Joe Locke & Patti LuPone are BFFs, Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestley, & David Sedaris strikes again

Broadway is buzzing with Hollywood’s unusual new couple, while Vanessa Williams is set to star in “The Devil Wears Prada” in London.

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