Julie and the Phantoms

Julie and the Phantoms is an American musical comedy-drama television series created by Dan Cross and David Hoge that was released via streaming on Netflix on September 10, 2020. The series is based on the Brazilian television series Julie e os Fantasmas.[1]

Julie and the Phantoms
Genre
Created byDan Cross & David Hoge
Based onJulie e os Fantasmas
by Paula Knudsen, Tiago Mello, and Fabio Danesi
Starring
Music byDavid Lawrence
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
  • Kenny Ortega
  • Dan Cross
  • David Hoge
  • Michel Tikhomiroff
  • Fabio Danesi
  • George Salinas
  • Jaime Aymerich
Producers
  • Jameson Parker
  • Thierry Tanguy
Production locationsBurnaby, British Columbia
CinematographyJon Joffin
Editors
Running time24–38 minutes
Production companies
  • Cross Hoge Productions
  • 5678 Productions
  • Mixer Films
  • Crossover Entertainment LLC
  • Brightlight Pictures
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

Cast and characters

Main

  • Madison Reyes as Julie Molina, a high school musician who is struggling to make music after the death of her mother but accidentally summons the spirits of a deceased band from the year 1995. Earlier in the show, she has a crush on Nick, but later becomes Luke's love interest.
  • Charlie Gillespie as Luke, a singer and the lead guitarist of the Phantoms, and soon becomes Julie's love interest.
  • Owen Patrick Joyner as Alex, the Phantoms' drummer, who falls in love with another ghost named Willie.
  • Jeremy Shada as Reggie, the bass player of the Phantoms.
  • Jadah Marie as Flynn, Julie's best friend, who eventually finds out about the ghost band who died in 1995.
  • Sacha Carlson as Nick, Carrie's boyfriend, and Julie's lifelong love interest.
  • Savannah May as Carrie, Julie's nemesis, and a former friend.

Recurring

  • Cheyenne Jackson as Caleb Covington, a famous ghost who owns the Hollywood Ghost Club.
  • Carlos Ponce as Ray Molina, Julie and Carlos's father.
  • Sonny Bustamante as Carlos Molina, Julie's younger brother, who becomes suspicious of the ghost band and becomes a junior ghost hunter.
  • Alison Araya as Aunt Victoria, Julie's aunt, and Ray's sister-in-law.
  • Marci T. House as Mrs. Harrison, Julie's music program teacher.
  • Booboo Stewart as Willie, a fellow ghost who loves to skateboard, and who also becomes Alex's love interest.

Production

Development

On April 9, 2019, Kenny Ortega signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, including production of Julie and the Phantoms. Ortega executive produced the series alongside Dan Cross, David Hoge, George Salinas, and Jaime Aymerich. Cross and Hoge also serve as showrunners. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Crossover Entertainment and Mixer Entertainment.[2] On August 26, 2020, an official trailer was released[3] and the series was released on September 10, 2020.[1]

Casting

On July 21, 2020, upon series premiere date announcement, Madison Reyes, Charlie Gillespie, Jeremy Shada, Owen Patrick Joyner, Jadah Marie, Sacha Carlson, and Savannah May were cast in the starring roles while Booboo Stewart, Cheyenne Jackson, Carlos Ponce, and Sonny Bustamante were cast in recurring roles.[1][4][5]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began on September 17, 2019 and ended on December 14, 2019 in Burnaby, British Columbia.[6]

Music

A soundtrack was released on September 10, 2020, alongside its series debut on the streaming service.[7]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Wake Up"Kenny OrtegaTeleplay by: David Hoge & Dan CrossSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

In 1995, the band Sunset Curve performs a soundcheck at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, where they are set to perform later that night. Three of the bandmates (Luke, Alex, and Reggie) leave to go get food while their fourth bandmate, Bobby, stays back to flirt with a waitress named Rose. Luke, Alex, and Reggie eat "street dogs", but the hot dogs turn out to be rancid and they die due to food poisoning.

Twenty-five years later, a teenager named Julie Molina is unable to play music since her mother's passing a year prior, which results in her dismissal from her school's music program, to the dismay of her best friend Flynn. While going through her mother's stuff in her family's garage studio, she finds a Sunset Curve CD and, upon playing it, summons the three deceased Sunset Curve members as ghosts. Thinking that they died the previous night, Julie shows them an article stating they died 25 years ago, leaving them despondent. The next day, Julie sits down at her mother's piano and plays a song her mother wrote for her. Unbeknownst to her, the boys watch her play, incredulous that the person who can see them is a talented musician as well.

Songs: "Now or Never" - Sunset Curve; "Wake Up" - Julie
2"Bright"Kenny OrtegaDavid Hoge & Dan CrossSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

After Julie plays the piano and sings for the first time in a year, the ghosts are shocked at her talent and consider asking her to join the band. Julie and Flynn try to convince the music teacher to let Julie back into the music program, but the teacher refuses, to their dismay. Meanwhile, to help sell their house, Julie's dad, Ray, takes photos of the house and studio, but studio photos depict white orbs. Julie's little brother, Carlos, suspects the orbs may be ghosts. The boys teleport to the beach where more is learned about the backgrounds of their families. Later, Luke convinces Julie to play a song in front of the music teacher, but she is reluctant. At her school's Spirit Rally, with encouragement from the guys, Julie gets on stage and begins to perform the song, "Bright", a song Luke wrote. When Julie sings, the band suddenly appears on stage playing their instruments and the band realizes they can be seen. When the song ends the band vanishes leaving everyone to think the boys were holograms.

Songs: "This Band is Back (Reggie's Jam)" - Sunset Curve; "Wow" - Dirty Candy; "Bright" - Sunset Curve & Julie
3"Flying Solo"Paul BeckerSean W. Cunningham & Marc DworkinSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

When the band vanishes, Julie is bombarded with questions. Someone asks her if the band was a hologram and Julie says yes. Julie is then accepted back into the music program by the principal. Flynn then questions Julie, who continues to lie about the band. After school, Julie lets her dad know that she got back into the music program. In the studio, Alex is panicking about his ghost life, but Luke and Reggie think this is their second chance because, with Julie, they can be the band they never got to be. Overwhelmed, Alex goes for a walk to clear his head and is run over by Willie, a skateboarder who is also a ghost. Willie observes that Alex is new to being a ghost and answers Alex's many questions. Back at the studio, Luke and Reggie find lyrics in Julie's room, which they use to create a song. Julie walks in and they invite her to join the band, but she can't think of anything other than Flynn. She later finds Flynn, about to egg Julie's window, and tells her the truth. At first, Flynn doesn't believe her, but Julie then performs "Flying Solo" and the band becomes visible to Flynn.

Songs: "Flying Solo" - Sunset Curve & Julie
4"I Got the Music"Kenny OrtegaNora SullivanSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

Willie takes Alex to a closed museum to try and loosen him up. As the boys and Julie collaborate on a new song, Julie tells them about the music of Trevor Wilson which shocks the boys as they discover Trevor is really their former bandmate Bobby, who stole their music and credited it for his own, which has made him rich and famous. The boys poof out to haunt Trevor. As part of their revenge against Trevor, the guys ask Willie for help. Willie takes them to The Hollywood Ghost Club to meet Caleb Covington, a ghost with strong powers.

Songs: "I Got the Music" - Julie with high school students
5"The Other Side of Hollywood"Kenny OrtegaDavid Hoge & Dan CrossSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

Caleb Covington introduces Luke, Alex, and Reggie to the wonders of The Hollywood Ghost Club. The boys are mesmerized by the elaborate musical production numbers. Meanwhile, Flynn DJs at the high school dance where Julie and the Phantoms are to perform later. However, the phantoms soon lose track of time, and Julie is forced to cancel her gig at the dance as a result. As the boys are leaving the club, realizing how late it is, they are given a mysterious stamp by Caleb. When they arrive at the school, Julie, upset with them, confronts them and quits the band. As Julie leaves, the boys suddenly experience a painful jolt, which Reggie compares to how they died 25 years ago.

Songs: "The Other Side of Hollywood" Caleb Covington and the Hollywood Ghost Club orchestra and dancers
6"Finally Free"Kristin HanggiSean W. Cunningham & Marc DworkinSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

At Julie's dance class, the boy's lacrosse team coach forces the team to join it to improve their mobility so they can win a game. Nick and Julie become dance partners. Luke signs up the band for a local talent contest, hoping to get Julie to rejoin the band following the dance. Julie accuses Luke of being selfish, but Alex and Reggie show Julie he isn't by taking her to Luke's parents' house where Luke visits frequently since his death. Julie has a change of heart and helps the boys practice a new song for their performance. However, Julie's father finds that Julie missed three of her classes and a calculus test when she overslept so he grounds her. Julie disobeys her dad and sneaks out of her bedroom to make their performance. After Julie and the Phantoms perform, a talent scout approaches Julie, but as she introduces herself to the band, Julie's father shows up and orders her home.

Songs: "Finally Free" - Julie and The Phantoms; "All Eyes On Me" - Dirty Candy
7"Edge of Great"Kabir AkhtarNora Sullivan & Leilani DownerSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

After Ray reprimands Julie for sneaking out, Julie manages to convince him to allow her to continue performing with the band. Ray feels guilty about interrupting the meeting of the talent scout and the band, so he agrees to throw a party at their house so the band can perform. Luke flirts with Julie under the guise of discussing what song to perform at the party. Nick interrupts them as he is nervous about their dance performance. As Nick and Julie perform their dance number, Julie imagines it is Luke she is dancing with. Alex catches Willie spying on him and confronts him, but Willie leaves abruptly, leaving Alex confused. Later, Julie and the Phantoms perform, which Ray records and uploads to the internet. As the episode ends, Willie decides to come clean and explain what is happening to the ghosts due to Caleb's curse. He explains that the boys can cheat Caleb's curse and cross over if they complete their "unfinished business", which the boys quickly put together as performing at the Orpheum.

Songs: "Perfect Harmony" - Julie and Luke; "Edge of Great" - Julie and The Phantoms
8"Unsaid Emily"Kabir AkhtarLeah KeithSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

While Alex is The Orpheum, he reminisces about the night he, Luke, and Reggie died. Willie poofs in and apologizes to him about introducing them to Caleb. Julie visits Luke's parents to give them a song, which Luke wrote about his mother. Julie hopes that doing so will help Luke. Luke tells Julie that the band has unfinished business that they need to complete before they can cross over or else they will cease to exist. Initially Julie is dismayed, but after finding a Sunset Curve T-shirt in her mother's possessions, she realizes the boys are connected to her mother (Rose, the waitress in the first episode, is revealed to be Julie's mother). While Julie is sad she may never see them again, she helps them to come up with a plan to play The Orpheum.

Songs: "Unsaid Emily" - Sunset Curve
9"Stand Tall"Kenny OrtegaDavid Hoge & Dan CrossSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10)

Willie helps Julie and the Phantoms become the opening act for Panic! at the Disco at The Orpheum. Carrie watches a video on her computer of Julie and the boys playing which her dad, Trevor, sees and realizes the band is his dead Sunset Curve bandmates. As the boys prepare to poof to The Orpheum to join Julie, Caleb appears and intervenes by transporting them to The Hollywood Ghost Club and forces them to perform with him and his orchestra. As show time approaches, Julie becomes anxious when the guys don't appear. A sign is given to Julie that she is meant to perform, so she takes matters into her own hands and performs by herself. Thankfully, as she begins performing, the phantoms escape from Caleb and appear one by one. At the end of the performance, the guys poof out. When Julie and her family return home, Julie returns to her studio, and believing that the boys have crossed over, thanks them for being there for her. But in reality, it turns out that playing the Orpheum wasn't their unfinished business, and that they never crossed over. Julie begs them to save themselves and join Caleb's band, but they refuse, not wanting to make music without her. Julie and Luke hug, and realize they can physically touch, as Luke then starts to regain strength. Alex and Reggie then join them, and Caleb's curse is lifted from them. The next day, Nick comes to Julie's house, but Caleb appears behind him and possesses him. Julie then comes to the door, and greets Nick, unaware that she's actually talking to Caleb.

Songs: "You Got Nothing to Lose" - Caleb; "Stand Tall" - Julie and the Phantoms

Reception

Caroline Framke of Variety wrote, "Sure, their ghost adventures become very silly, very quickly. But who cares! Julie and the Phantoms is just fun and adorable enough for none of that to really matter."[8]

For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "With catchy tunes and just the right amount of ghost jokes, Julie and the Phantoms is a fun, feel-good show that proves a perfect showcase for newcomer Madison Reyes."[9] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

References

  1. Pedersen, Erik (July 21, 2020). "'Julie And The Phantoms': Cast, Premiere Date & Promo For Kenny Ortega's Netflix Musical Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2019). "Kenny Ortega Inks Multi-Year Netflix Deal, Sets 'Auntie Claus' Movie; 'Julie And The Phantoms' Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  3. Nemetz, Dave (August 26, 2020). "Julie and the Phantoms Trailer: A Shy Teen Makes Sweet Music With a Band of Cute Ghosts in New Netflix Musical". TVLine. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  4. Ng, Philiana (July 21, 2020). "Meet the Stars of Netflix's 'Julie and the Phantoms,' a New Musical Series With a Ghostly Twist (Exclusive)". ET. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  5. "Shows A-Z - Julie and the Phantoms on netflix". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  6. "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. December 13, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  7. "Julie and the Phantoms: Season 1 (From the Netflix Original Series)". Amazon Music. September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  8. Framke, Caroline (September 8, 2020). "'Julie and the Phantoms' Brings 'Scooby Doo' Vibes to a 'High School Musical' Successor: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  9. "Julie and the Phantom: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  10. "Julie and the Phantoms: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
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