Originally based on a brazilian series, Julie and the Phantoms follows high schooler Julie (Madison Reyes) who lost her love for music after the tragic death of her mother. However, after she is visited by three musical ghosts (Charlie Gillespie, Jeremy Shada, Owen Patrick Joyner), Julie's love is reawakened.
Julie and the Phantoms
The first season of the show is set to drop on September 10th on Netflix. Entertainment Tonight got an inside scoop on the star studded cast. Madison Reyes will be leading the show alongside her three phantoms- Charlie Gillespie, Jeremy Shada, Owen Patrick Joyner. Carlos Ponce will play Julie's father and Sonny Bustamante will play Julie's brother. Booboo Stewart will be starring as Willie, a skater boy on the show.
Casting Julie
Kenny Ortega, the director and executive producer of the show, told Entertainment Tonight the casting process for finding the perfect Julie. He said:
"I wanted this to be a Latina family, and I also wanted a Julie 'from the block' -- a young girl that was relatable, that other young women could relate to. There was a moment where we wondered if we could really 'find what Kenny was looking for. The casting director called me one day and said, 'Sit down and get ready.' They did this with me with Zac Efron [on High School Musical]... They said, 'We think we found your Julie. And I'll never forget it. I turned on my computer and punched her video and there she was... never having been in front of a camera or in a recording studio or ever having worked professionally. Just this 14-year-old high school freshman in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that, for me, had the magic."
The Phantoms
As for picking the Phantoms, Ortega revealed that he was looking for something truly special. He says:
"I sought out triple threats or actors that can bring it all... and bring something to the party and are going to be great partners. Not only are they (Gillespie, Shada, Joyner) strong actors, musicians and singers, but they're just inspired guys, and you could see it when they were auditioning."
The first season will feature a 15-song soundtrack, and although it will be an overall "feel good" show, Ortega shares that it will also cover darker and deeper topics. One of these includes coping with the loss of a parent.
Ortega shared what he hopes viewers get out of watching the show:
"Certainly not giving up on yourself and that we all face moments where we lose precious ideas or people, and that it can be heartbreaking. And that through grief, though, we can move out of the dark and into the light again. I think this is a story that is important in that respect, and it reminds us to keep your eyes on the horizon. We have to bob and weave through life sometimes, but the greater answer is ahead of us. I think that's what these characters give each other through their friendship and through starting the band together."
Be sure to check out Julie and the Phantoms on September 10th on Netflix!
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