Virgin River's Martin Henderson teases 'huge' season 6 in new filming update

Virgin River star Martin Henderson has shared a new filming update on season six, which he said is going to be "huge" and will make fans "very happy".

Taking to Instagram, the actor shared a mirror selfie taken from his make-up chair on-set and revealed that filming is almost over. In the caption, he penned: "It takes an army! Final stretch of shooting Season 6 of #virginriverseries ….make up making me presentable for shooting the last few scenes.

"Been a huge season with a lot of what I hope makes you fans very happy," he teased.

Fans rushed to the comments section to share their excitement, with one person writing: "Can't wait for season 6," while another added: "Seriously cannot wait to watch S6! Happy wrap-up for S6 and [fingers crossed] for S7!"

Meanwhile, a third fan asked about the release date: "Do we really have to wait until 2025?"

With production on season six only just wrapping up, fans can expect to wait a little while before the new episodes arrive. What's more, it's been reported that Netflix won't be releasing any new episodes of Virgin River this year, meaning an early 2025 release date is likely.

MORE VIRGIN RIVER

• Virgin River season six: everything to know from cast to plot details as stars return to set

• Virgin River gets prequel spin-off show - details on new Netflix show

• All you need to know about the cast of Virgin River and their real-life partners

• Alexandra Breckenridge's kitchen could be straight out of Virgin River

As for the drama's future beyond season seven, the streaming platform has yet to give the green light. Despite this, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith has shown no signs of slowing down.

"There's no plans of wrapping anything up," he told Deadline in December. "I think, as long as these characters are living, there are always going to be stories to tell, and that's an incredible opportunity for any showrunner."

The cast is also keen for more episodes, with Alexandra Breckenridge – aka Mel Monroe – previously stating: "I keep trying to tell them they should just pick up Season 7 so we can just knock Seasons 6 and 7 and call it a day. I'm not aware of it being the final season. Hopefully, we'll get more."

In the meantime, fans can look forward to the new episodes, which will see Mel and Jack advancing on their path to parenthood while working on their dream home.

Season six picks up a few months after the events of season five's festive episodes, where we'll find the town "deeper into springtime", according to showrunner Patrick, who promises that "babies and wedding bells are never off the table on Virgin River".

While an official synopsis has yet to be released, we do know that Mel's biological father will feature in the new episodes following his dramatic reveal in season five. Patrick told Tudum: "The big new mystery character this season is Mel’s biological father Everett Reid, who is carrying a long-held secret."

Fans can also expect to see some "new directions" for some of their favourite characters. "Brady will be volunteering at the Virgin River fire station under Fire Chief Kaia, who is pulled into Preacher’s past sins," said Patrick, adding: "Also this season we'll be surprised by some returning favorites from the past."