After fans have reason to be excited after a sequel to the popular YA movie franchise was confirmed.
The After movies are based on Anna Todd's novels which chronicle the years-long romance between Tessa (Josephine Langford) and Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). There were five films in the franchise (After, After We Collided, After We Fell, After Ever Happy, and After Everything) which gained a fervid fanbase over the years.
The series was set to wrap up with 2023's After Everything, which ended with Hardin and Tessa getting engaged and a flashforward that showed their future as a happily married couple with children.
After: Next Generation Confirmed For 2025
A documentary exploring the making of and phenomenal culture impact of the After movies, titled Beyond After, was recently released and the closing moments of the film confirm a future for the franchise.
Producer Mark Canton said during Beyond After "we can expand" the After universe and that he "feel(s) it has a long way to go." Canton offered similar sentiments to The Direct last year, confirming they were "working on more stories" in the After franchise.
It was announced back in 2021 that there were both sequel and prequel stories in the After universe in the works, but years went by without further updates, until now.
Producer Brian Pitt expanded on future After projects in Beyond After, saying "we have a few things in the mix", including a story about "Tessa and Hardin's kids:"
"We are working on some other versions. There's the series 'Before.' There's the Landon series (Nothing More and Nothing Less). So we have a few things in the mix.
We have 'Next Generation' in the mix. And that's where we go on the journey with Tessa and Hardin's kids. So there's a lot of little things in the mix, and we're just waiting for the right moment and right time and the right cast and all the things to come together."
The closing moments of Beyond After confirm the next step in the franchise will come sooner than expected, with a title card displaying "After: Next Generation coming 2025."
Will The Cast Return In After: Next Generation?
As per Pitt's comments and Deadline's report, After: Next Generation will follow Tessa and Hardin's children, Emery and Auden, as well as their cousin Addy, as they navigate the journey of growing up and try not to make their parent's mistakes.
It hasn't been confirmed whether After: Next Generation will be a movie or TV series, but Deadline's original report claimed it would be a film which is presumably still the case.
It remains unclear whether the original cast of the After movies will return for Next Generation. Tessa and Hardin would still likely be involved in the story as parents, but it hasn't been confirmed whether Langford or Fiennes Tiffin will be back.
On the set of the last chapter After Everything, Fiennes Tiffin was quoted saying "never say never" about his appearance in more After projects, but added that eventually he will "have to step back and let someone else come [in]:"
"Never say never. Last time, I said it was the last one, and we came to do another. But really, eventually, I think I have to step back and let someone else come and take the story or a spin-off or something. I'll always be around. After will always remain in a really special place in my heart. I think [After Everything] will be the last one, but it's always going to be a part of my life."
Production details for After: Next Generation have not been announced, but will likely be revealed shortly if the project is to make its 2025 release date.
After: Next Generation will release in 2025. The After films are streaming on Netflix.
