Prepare to laugh and cry with Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest in My Oxford Year, a new romance written by Allison Burnett (Autumn in New York) and Melissa Osborne, and directed by BAFTA nominee Iain Morris, now streaming on Netflix. The film is based on a novel by Julia Whelan, which was adapted from Burnett’s original screenplay. Head to campus with the brand-new trailer above. 

“Iain Morris created one of the most iconic pieces of British television, The Inbetweeners,” says Carson, who also executive produces the movie — her second production credit following 2022’s Purple Hearts. “Comedy is his language. It was so important for Marty to bring in Iain as our director, because he was so certain of the importance of comedy to the DNA of this film. You simply cannot have a British romance without iconic British humor. Iain’s vision of this film brought to life a sweeping, heartbreaking romance that is simultaneously grounded in laughter. In one scene, you can fall in love, have your heart broken, cry, and laugh — all in the same breath. Laughter is always present, delicately woven throughout the film, because laughter is so often how we as humans cope with darkness, how we shed light onto the darkness.”

Read on for more information about the film, get to know the rest of the class with some new photos, and head to Netflix to soak in the beautiful Oxford campus yourself.

What is My Oxford Year about? 

When Anna (Carson), an ambitious young American woman, sets out for the UK and the University of Oxford to fulfill a childhood dream, she’s got her life completely on track. That is, until she meets a charming and clever local Jamie (Mylchreest) who profoundly alters both of their lives.

This was a story close to home for Mylchreest, who was born and bred in London and had his own version of an Oxford year. “I have a friend that studied for uni in Oxford, and so there was a period of my life where I was going up and getting the train to Oxford quite frequently,” the actor says. Carson’s exposure to the historic campus was more similar to her fish-out-of-water character’s. “I chose not to visit Oxford prior to filming,” says the actor, “because I wanted to experience it for the first time on camera, as Anna would, so that my discovery of Oxford takes place as the audience discovers it.” Whether new to the campus or more familiar, both actors concur that the location made for a gorgeous backdrop for their characters’ love story.

The movie is steeped in literature and poetry. “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. In 1833, Alfred Tennyson wrote ‘It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.’ Two hundred years after Tennyson so beautifully uttered those words, they ring truer than ever — in the halls of Oxford, and within the heart of our film,” says Carson.

“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,” the actor adds. 

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

Who’s playing Jamie and Anna in  My Oxford Year?

Carson and Mylchreest lead the cast of My Oxford Year, and their chemistry drives the movie. “They bounced off each other from the first moment they worked together,” says director Morris, “and clearly enjoyed trying to make each other laugh — and maybe cry?” The actors were successful at both. “I hope watching the film allows the audience to run through all the emotions associated with the wonderful, noisy, chaotic, unexpected, funny, heartbreaking experience that is falling in love,” Morris adds.

Marty Bowen, who produces the film for Temple Hill, commends Carson’s dedication to the story, on and offscreen. “I think why Sofia so frequently resonates with people in the movies that she does is because that’s the way she lives her life. It’s not artificial,” he tells Tudum. “It’s truly who she is as a human being.”

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

Carson knew she’d found the Jamie to her Anna from the get-go: “I remember watching Queen Charlotte and being in awe of his craft. He’s an extraordinary force of an actor,” she says. “We met in London at his chemistry read, and the moment he walked into the room and we started reading the script, the scenes came to life, and we transformed into Anna and Jamie — we melted into them. Instantly. Corey was a true partner in this experience. He approached Jamie with the same responsibility as I approached Anna, and we were both committed to diving heart and soul into these characters and into bringing their love to life.”

Bowen attributes the film’s tonal balance in part to Mychlreest. “When a guy looks as good as he does and yet is as funny as he is, it’s such a staggering and lethal combination,” the producer says. “And his craft matters first and foremost. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think he would be so versatile and so charismatic as he is. And it starts with his ability to understand how to take the piss out of himself. And that makes him really, really special.”

For Mylchreest, the cast was the highlight of making My Oxford Year. “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,” the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story actor says. “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.”

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

Who is in the cast of My Oxford Year?

“We got really lucky and were very intentional about surrounding the movie with really funny, fun, dynamic characters,” says Laura Quicksilver, who also produces the film for Temple Hill. “We loved our cast and there was so much chemistry between all of them.” 

Sofia Carson

as Anna 

About the Character

Born and bred in Queens, NY, Anna has her life planned to a T when she shows up for a year-long poetry program at Oxford University. Everything changes when she meets Jamie (Corey Mylchreest). The two begin a whirlwind romance that changes everything Anna thought she knew about what she wants out of life.

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Corey Mylchreest

as Jamie

About the Character

Jamie and Anna (Sofia Carson) may not have had the most traditional meet cute — boy soaks Type-A girl when he drives his retro car through a puddle, girl tattles on him when he hides from a past fling in a chip shop — but one thing’s for certain: their chemistry is instant and undeniable. When Jamie turns out to be Anna’s TA, the two bond over their love of poetry. Some of the biggest lessons Jamie teaches Anna, however, happen outside of the classroom, changing her life forever.

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Dougray Scott

as William Davenport

About the Character

William is Jamie’s dad. His love and concern for his son sometimes creates distance between the two men, who have contrasting perspectives on big life choices.

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Catherine McCormack

as Antonia Davenport

About the Character

Antonia counteracts her husband’s strict approach to their son with a cheeky sense of mischief and style. 

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Harry Trevaldwyn

as Charlie Butler

About the Character

Harry is Anna’s roommate and one of her best friends at Oxford. He helps her navigate a new campus with an invaluable sense of humor — and some critical guidance on footwear.

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Esmé Kingdom

as Maggie Timbs

About the Character

Maggie is Anna and Charlie’s third musketeer, completing a trio that is inseparable throughout Anna’s year abroad. She is loyal and kind as Anna navigates the ups and downs of her relationship.

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Poppy Gilbert

as Cecelia Knowles

About the Character

Cecelia is Jamie’s slightly aloof yet deeply kind constant companion. Because of her protective nature, her relationship with Anna starts off rocky.

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The other actors enrolled in My Oxford Year are:

• Nikhil Parmar (Gran Turismo, The Rig)
• Romina Cocca (The Penguin Lessons, The Split (TV special))
• Yadier Fernández (The Gold, The Mother)
• Nia Anisah (Magpie Murders, The Doll Factory)
• Hugh Coles (Baby Reindeer, Atlanta) 

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

What is Jamie’s secret?

Jamie is first introduced as a bit of a rake. He insists that he and Anna keep their fling “fun,” as Anna’s stint abroad is only one year, but the two soon become inseparable. When Anna appears at his house one day out of the blue, she finds a very different explanation for his distance: He is terminally ill with a genetic disease that killed his brother only a year ago, and he’s decided to forgo treatment. “It hits you like a ton of bricks when you realize that’s the secret he’s hiding,” says Quicksilver.

Jamie’s parents, played Dougray Scott and Catherine McCormack, have different reactions to his decision to stop treatment. His mom is heartbroken but respects Jamie’s decision, while his dad is angry and tries to change his mind. Anna is caught somewhere in the middle. Ultimately, she feels gratitude for the time they had together, and chooses to live every moment with him to the fullest. “My Oxford Year reaffirms in every frame that life is too short to not live it in love, to not live it in joy and to not live it in complete and utter fulfillment,” Carson says. 

Who is Cecelia?

Until she found out about Jamie’s illness, Anna had been under the impression that Cecelia Knowles (Poppy Gilbert) was Jamie’s ex- or current girlfriend based on her protective nature: Cecelia even warned Anna not to get too attached to him over a tense pot of tea. 

She’s not the other woman, but actually Jamie’s late brother’s girlfriend. After Jamie’s brother died, Poppy pledged to stick by Jamie’s side and support him through his own illness.

Is My Oxford Year based on a book?

My Oxford Year is based on Whelan’s novel of the same name, which is adapted from Burnett’s original screenplay. 

The story hit close to home for Bowen, who had a whirlwind romance of his own during a year he spent at Oxford. “It was a finite period of time that we were going to be there, like in the story. But it made the relationship that much more heightened because there was less pressure about where it was going to go,” says Bowen. “I actually think it’s those experiences that we take for granted. They become so much more important to you as memories of your life.” Bowen still has a letter from that era that he’s kept in a drawer since 1992, which he shared with his fellow producer Quicksilver and showed Carson during one of their first meetings. 

“One of the things we’ve always loved about this story that I think resonates with so many people is, it’s not necessarily the quantity of time you spend with someone, but the quality of that time,” says Quicksilver. “I think that the letter existing in Marty’s desk all these years later represents that.”

PHOTO: CHRIS BAKER/NETFLIX

Who else is involved in My Oxford Year?

In addition to Carson, Caroline Levy, Christopher Simon, Maggie Monteith, Pete Harris, and Carson’s mother, Laura Char Carson, are executive producers of the film. Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Quicksilver, and Isaac Klausner (for Temple Hill Entertainment) produce My Oxford Year, and George Berman co-produces. “Marty Bowen and Temple Hill have gifted us with some of this generation’s most beloved romances, from The Fault in our Stars to Twilight,” says Carson. “It was a beautiful experience to partner with them in producing My Oxford Year.”

When will My Oxford Year be on Netflix?

Watch Anna and Jamie’s love story unfold now on Netflix.