Kenny Ortega, executive producer of the recently canceledJulie and the Phantoms, reports that there are currentlyno plans for the seriesat Netflix or any other place. However, not all hope is lost, as Ortega noted to “never say never” at the thought of its return.
Julie and the Phantomswas a musical-comedy that premiered on Netflix in the Fall of 2020. After the death of her mother, high-schooler Julie (Madison Reyes) struggles to express herself and find a passion for music again. When she accidentally summons the spirits of the deceased boyband Sunset Curve (Charlie Gillespie,Owen Joyner,Jeremy Shada), they reignite her love of music and she becomes their new lead singer. The show won three Primetime Emmy Awards for its first season before it wascanceled in December 2021, over a year after its initial release.
Ortega said that while there are currently no plans to try to get the show picked up elsewhere, he is “grateful to Netflix for greenlighting the project” and believes it is “some of the best work I’ve done for kids and family, and young adult entertainment.” This is high praise from Ortega, whose filmography includes theHigh School Musicalmovies,Hocus Pocus, andThe Descendantsmovies.Julie and the Phantomswas part of a multi-year deal Ortega made with Netflix and was created byDan CrossandDavid Hoge. It was based on the Brazilian TV showJulie e os Fantasmas, which also only had one season.
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During its season,Julie and the Phantomsbuilt a strong and passionate fan base who fought to keep the show on Netflix. Because of their support,Julie and the Phantomswas frequently trending on Netflix across the globe and the hashtag #savejulieandthephantoms could be seen hundreds of times on any Netflix Instagram post. Ortega wishes he could “tell the fans that all of [their efforts] will get them Julie back,” and that everyone who worked on the show is “so grateful for the passion they’ve shown to the project.”
Ortega hasn’t completely given up on the idea of bringing backJulie and the Phantomsin some form, floating the idea of doing a tour with the cast or even a film. Ortega won’t even spill on what was planned for Season 2, after the boys finally become corporeal, saying he will reveal their plans once it’s clear that there will be no moreJulie and the Phantomsmedia in the future. Unfortunately, at the moment there is nothing in store, so all fans of the show can do is keep up hope.
