Fall In Love with the First Look at 'My Oxford Year'
Sofia Carson in "My Oxford Year"
(Photo: Netflix)
Netflix's adaptation of the emotional novel My Oxford Year is officially set to arrive this summer, and we should probably just all start stockpiling tissues now. A bittersweet story that's one part journey of self-discovery, one part swoon-worthy romance, and one part exploration of the way our dreams can shift and change as we grow, the film is based on Julia Whelan's popular 2018 novel of the same name.
The story follows Ana, an ambitious young American woman who gets the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream: Studying at the famous Oxford University. But when she has an awkward meet-cute with charming local (and Oxford poetry professor) Jamie Davenport, their subsequent relationship turns her carefully planned future upside down. Set in the atmospheric streets of Oxford, a community that has been home to a unique flavor of romance, history, and academic magic for hundreds of years, it's a romance that's full of surprises, of both the heartwarming and the heartbreaking variety.
Sofia Carson, who broke out in the 2022 Netflix film Purple Hearts, stars as Ana. Corey Mylchreest, who will be familiar to Anglophiles everywhere thanks to his turn as the dreamy King George in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, plays Jamie.
Corey Mylchreest in "My Oxford Year"
(Photo: Netflix)
"I watched Queen Charlotte in awe of Corey. He’s an extraordinary force of an actor,” Carson told Netflix's TUDUM. “When it came time to cast Jamie, I always knew it would be Corey. As soon as he walked into the room for our chemistry read in London, Anna and Jamie came to life. Instantly. Corey was a true partner in this experience....And together we were dedicated to diving into Anna and Jamie’s love story, to bring it to life with every bit of our hearts.”
Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest in "My Oxford Year"
(Photo: Netflix)
Here's the film's synopsis, which is fairly basic.
When Anna, an ambitious young American woman, sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, she has her life completely on track until she meets a charming and clever local who profoundly alters both of their lives.
Luckily, the book's description offers substantially more detail, though some of the book elements — specifically, Ella's name, cultural heritage, and professional identity — have been updated for the film version.
American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.
When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.
Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.
Sofia Carson in "My Oxford Year"
(Photo: Netflix)
"Our story is a film that, in every frame, reaffirms the belief that life is too short to not live it in love. To not live it in joy," Carson said. "And I hope that truth rings true in the hearts of anyone who watches our film,
Alongside Carson and Mylchreest, the cast includes Dougray Scott (Sherlock & Daughter), Catherine McCormack (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), Harry Trevaldwyn (My Lady Jane), Esmé Kingdom (Fallen), Nikhil Parmar (The Rig), Poppy Gilbert (The Chelsea Detective), Romina Cocca (The Penguin Lessons), Yadier Fernandez (The Gold), Nia Anisah (Magpie Murders), and Hugh Coles (Baby Reindeer).
The film is based on Whelan's novel, with a script by Allison Burnett (Autumn in New York) and Melissa Osborne (My Fault: London). BAFTA nominee Iain Morris (The Inbetweeners) directs.
Executive producers include Carson, Caroline Levy, Christopher Simon, Maggie Monteith, Laura Char Carson, and Pete Harris. Mary Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Laura Quicksilver, and Isaac Klausner are the film's producers, with George Berman co-producing.
My Oxford Year will premiere on Netflix on Friday, August 1, 2025.
