Since the first film debuted in 2019, the After film franchise has built up a loyal legion of fans – each desperately invested in the tumultuous relationship between college students Tessa and Hardin.
A fourth entry in the series – which is based on the young adult novels of the same name by Anna Todd – is set to arrive in the near future, and it is expected to be the final chapter in the dramatic love affair before the franchise shifts its attention to various spin-offs.
A new teaser trailer for the film was recently released – and it looks like the romance between the central pair is remaining as stormy as ever going into the final installment.
Read on for everything you need to know about Happy Ever After – including a look at that trailer, cast and plot details, and when the film will be available to watch.
After Ever Happy release date
The UK release date for the film has not been confirmed as yet – beyond the fact that it will be exclusively released on Prime Video, most likely a few weeks after its theatrical debut in other territories – if you’re keen to watch, you can sign up for a Prime Video free trial.
There’s good news for fans elsewhere in Europe (with the exception of France) – as the film is being released earlier in the continent than it is on the other side of the Atlantic, debuting on various dates from Monday 22nd August to Thursday 25th August.
In the US the film will also be given a theatrical release, arriving in cinemas two weeks later on Wednesday 7th September.
As has been the case with the other films in the franchise, it will then be added to US Netflix at some point in the future – although an exact date for this has not been confirmed thus far.
After Ever Happy trailer
The new teaser trailer for the film was released in April 2022, and shows Hardin dealing with the fall-out of the shock revelation at the end of the previous film – as Tessa gives him a dramatic ultimatum. You can watch the clip in full below:
It follows a shorter teaser that was released in December 2021…
The second teaser promises yet more drama from the pair’s tumultuous relationship – watch above!
After Ever Happy cast
Given the series revolves around the love story between the characters played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford, it’s no surprise that they return as Hardin Scott and Tessa Young respectively.
And they won’t be the only returning faces for the fourth instalment in the franchise: Chance Perdomo, Louise Lombard, Frances Turner, Rob Estes, Kiana Madeira, Anton Kottas, Arielle Kebbel, Stephen Moyer, and Mira Sorvino will also all be back.
While several supporting characters were recast between the second and third films in the series – owing to various scheduling conflicts – this won’t be the case this time around, with After Ever Happy having been shot back to back with the previous film.
After Ever Happy plot
The new film will pick up after the events of the previous entry in the franchise, After We Fell, which ended with a major bombshell – the revelation that Tessa’s new boss Christian Vance is Hardin’s father, a huge shock for both Tessa and Hardin.
According to the synopsis of After Ever Happy, that revelation will lead to Hardin and Tessa discovering that the differences between them aren’t as vast as they had once thought – but will also see a few more difficulties creeping into their relationship.
“As a shocking truth about a couple’s families emerges, the two lovers discover they are not so different from each other,” it reads. “Tessa is no longer the sweet, simple, good girl she was when she met Hardin — any more than he is the cruel, moody boy she fell so hard for.”
Meanwhile, a further synopsis teases: “Hardin and Tessa are growing up and they may never be the same. Although they have defied all the odds, their next chapter will bring either a fairy tale ending or finally destroy their passionate yet toxic relationship.
“When a revelation about the past shakes Hardin’s impenetrable façade to the core – and Tessa suffers a tragedy – will they stick together or be torn apart? Life will never be the same for Hessa.”
As has been the case with each of the previous three instalments, the fourth film is based on Anna Todd’s novel of the same name.
That novel included several time jumps, and it’s not currently clear how the film will incorporate these – but it will certainly be exciting for fans to find out.
Will there be another After film?
Technically speaking, After Ever Happy is the final film in the main After series – and it looks set to bring the love story between Tessa and Hardin to a close.
However, it’s not the last we’ll see of this world, with two spin-off films having already been confirmed, each focusing on different characters from the movies.
One of the new films will be a prequel loosely adapted from Anna Todd’s novel Before – which focuses on Hardin’s life before he met Tessa. As the character will be significantly younger in this film, a different actor will be taking on the role – so don’t expect to see Hero Finees Tiffin in this one.
Meanwhile, the second spin-off will be a sequel focusing on Tessa and Hardin’s children Emery and Auden, as well as their cousin Addy, who are introduced in the epilogue of After Ever Happy.
“The After universe just keeps expanding,” director Castille Landon told Teen Vogue when announcing the new films. “The fandom, and how excited they are and their input, it really does inspire us all as creators every single day.”
After Ever Happy will be released on Amazon Prime Video in the UK later in 2022 – sign up for a Prime Video free trial. You can also buy Anna Todd’s After Ever Happy and Before novels now.
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