Sofia Carson as Anna in My Oxford Year. Chris Baker/Netflix Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment [This story contains spoilers for Netflix's My Oxford Year.] Audiences may have seen Sofia Carson fall in love onscreen in roles such as Netflix's Purple Hearts and the Life List, but her new film is offering a revival of the traditional classic love story. "There's a certain level of escapism that comes with falling in love with a love story that is so beautiful to be able to offer that, and this one in particular just felt timeless," Carson tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It felt like it had been a while since I had seen a classic and timeless love story brought to life for this generation." Related Stories TV Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'FUBAR' Canceled at Netflix After Two Seasons Movies British Tough Guy Ray Winstone to Receive Sarajevo Festival Award That love story is My Oxford Year, directed by Iain Morris and starring Carson (who also exec produce) and Queen Charlotte star Corey Mylchreest. The film, based on the 2018 book by Julia Wheelan, centers on Carson's Anna, an ambitious young American woman who sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a lifelong dream. Though she has her life planned, things take an unexpected turn when she meets local and her professor Jamie (played by Mylchreest). They may find a connection through literature and poetry but soon their unforseen bond alters both of their lives. "It's like these two people see each other for who they are for the very first time," Carson says. "I think that's one of the most beautiful parts of this film is that they fall in love through poetry. They fall in love through literature." Amid the film's release, Carson spoke with THR about bringing a new love story onscreen, the film's emotional turn and hopes her character lets young women "feel represented." What was it about this story that interested you and made you want to be a part of bringing it to life? So shortly after Purple Hearts came out, I met with Marty Bowen and Laura Quicksilver at Temple Hill, and I, of course, was very familiar with their work. They've brought to life some of the most beloved love stories of our time from Twilight to The Fault in Our Stars. And so in our meeting, Marty pitched wanting to bring this story to life with me as a producer and to star as Anna. I was so moved by that of course. By the moment I read the script, it was just the easiest yes. I fell so instantly in love with Anna and Jamie's love story and with their world of poetry and literature, and it was just a beautiful love story, the kind of love that changes you. I felt so sure that Marty and Temple Hill were the partners to bring this to life, and it's been a beautiful journey ever since. You've become quite the presence on Netflix having starred in multiple films, in particular romance stories. What is it about the romance genre that appeals to you and attracted you to want to tell these stories? I was always writing love songs years before I had ever even been close to being in love. I always gravitated towards love and romance. I think also as a consumer, there's a certain level of escapism that comes with falling in love, with a love story that is so beautiful to be able to offer that, and this one in particular just felt timeless. It felt like a classic, and it felt like it had been a while since I had seen a classic and timeless love story brought to life for this generation. And that really excited me! What do you think are the necessities to make a romance film stand out and be a timeless story especially when we've had so many great romance stories told onscreen? Love is such an innate part of the human experience. It's bound to be a part of most films that we bring to life as artists. This one is probably the closest to a straight romance story that I've ever had the privilege of telling. I've always been drawn towards really timeless classics from Audrey Hepburn's films to Barbra Streisand's The Way We Were and this film felt very reminiscent of that. I also tend to enjoy in my films, the enemies to lovers trope, which happened in Purple Hearts and also takes place in My Oxford Year. I think there's always something really exciting about that dynamic. The cinematography of this film taking place in Oxford is just so sweeping and romantic and magical. It's like every inch of Oxford is brimming with poetry and history, and it frames the story just so beautifully. For this film, Oxford felt like its own character and it was an immersive experience for the audience. But I read that you didn't want to see Oxford before filming but rather save your immediate reaction to seeing it for the first time for the film. Why did you make that decision and what was your reaction when seeing it for the first time? I really wanted my fi