Why the first Heart Eyes caught our attention
The original Heart Eyes mixed rom-com winks with genuine jump-scares: a Valentine’s Day–obsessed killer stalking couples, a messy fake relationship, and two strangers forced to survive together. It leaned into dark laughs and pulse-pounding moments rather than straight-up horror, and audiences responded.
On a modest budget of roughly $18 million, the movie pulled in north of $30 million worldwide — enough for the studio to give the idea another go. In short: it performed well enough to earn a sequel.
Save the date (and the chocolates)
Paramount has slotted the follow-up for a perfectly timed pre–Valentine’s Day release: February 11, 2028 in North America. If you liked your rom-com with a side of suspense, mark your calendars.
Whether the sequel will get the same rollout everywhere is still unclear. The first film didn’t hit French theaters and was handled digitally there, so international plans might vary.
Will Jay and Ally be back?
Fans might be wondering about the surviving duo from the first movie. The actors who played the leads — Mason Gooding and Olivia Hoult — haven’t officially signed on yet. The studio could follow their story again or shift focus to fresh characters; either approach has potential.
The creative team returning (and getting more breathing room)
Director Josh Ruben is coming back to steer the sequel and co-wrote the screenplay with Darcy Fowler. The script builds on a story by Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, who were part of the original creative crew.
Notably, Ruben put the first film together at lightning speed — pitching over Valentine’s weekend 2024 and landing the movie in theaters a year later. This time around he has more time to plot the scares and the jokes, which is good news for fans hoping for a sharper follow-up.
What to expect (tone, scares, and rom-com spice)
The original balanced playful banter with tense set pieces, and the sequel seems poised to keep that recipe. Don’t expect any exploitative scenes — if there are awkwardly unclothed moments or risqué gags, they’ll likely be winked-at and played for laughs rather than shock value.
Ultimately, this looks like a Valentine’s Day-themed roller coaster: a mix of character-driven moments, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a few teeth-clenching sequences to keep crowds cheering (or screaming) in the theater.
Bottom line
Heart Eyes 2 is officially on the calendar, directed by the original filmmaker and written by a familiar creative team. Casting for returning leads is still up in the air, but with a Feb. 11, 2028 release date, the sequel will be arriving just in time for chocolate, roses, and a little cinematic terror.