Is My Oxford Year based on a novel? Details explored

My Oxford Year, a new romantic comedy film on Netflix, is slated to make its debut on the streaming platform this August. Following the story of a high-spirited young lady, Anna (Sofia Carson), the film explores how her travel away from home to Oxford University sparks a beautiful romance with a clever local, Jamie (Corey Mylchreest), a poetry professor.

When things get serious between the two, Jamie tries to stop it all for unknown reasons. The film explores how Anna will handle her relationship with Jamie and how it will all pan out at the end.

The film is directed by Iain Morris, and the screenplay is credited to Melissa Osborne and Allison Burnett. My Oxford Year is an adaptation of Julia Whelan's novel with the same name.

Julia Whelan's novel My Oxford Year is the inspiration behind Netflix's upcoming release

A still from My Oxford Year (Image via Netflix)

Julia has worked in several projects as a child actor and has lent her voice to over 400 audiobooks so far. Her debut novel, My Oxford Year, came out in 2018 and has now been adapted into a movie by Netflix. The novel has received a rating of 3.9 on Goodreads

The novel is an adaptation of an original screenplay by Allison Burnett. It follows the story of the American protagonist, Ella Durran, who receives a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England.

Her dream to study at Oxford finally comes true, along with a prominent job role for a politician's political campaign awaiting her back in the U.S.A. All goes well until she meets Jamie Davenport, a professor at Oxford University. What starts as a fling turns into a strong love for Ella, but Jamie's secrets and challenges make things worse for the two. The novel explores Ella's decisions and actions that shape her and Jamie's future.

Also read: When will My Oxford Year premiere? Release date, cast details, trailer, and more

Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest talk about working on My Oxford Years

Actors Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest are all set to showcase their chemistry in the Oxford University-set romance film by Netflix. Having several prominent works under their name, both actors' performance in the film is much anticipated by the global audience.

Talking about working with the director, Iain Morris, on this film, Sofia Carson said in a statement to Netflix:

"Iain Morris wrote and created one of the most iconic shows in British television, The Inbetweeners. Comedy is his language, so his vision of this film beautifully created a timeless, heartbreaking, sweeping romance, grounded in laughter. Within one scene you may fall madly in love, you may cry, but he will always make sure the joy of laughter is present.”

Sofia also expressed her thoughts on playing Anna and said:

"It was an honor and joy to dive into Anna’s world of dreams, of love, of poetry. To study the great poets that walked the halls of Oxford, and who have since filled our lives with the magic of literature."

Corey Mylchreest also shared his views on working with the upcoming film's team and said to Netflix:

"Getting to meet, work, spend time, talk, joke with the cast and crew … they are absolutely crucial to why I think the film is good.”

Talking about what the viewers can hope to see in the new film, the actor said:

"You can expect some laughs, a lot of love, maybe some sadness, a couple of surprises along the way, but [you can expect] to meet two really lovely, very human characters and all of their amazing friends and family. Get ready for a lovely journey."

The viewers can experience the novel come to life with Netflix's My Oxford Year, releasing on the platform on August 1, 2025.

Stay tuned for more updates.