We got some great news recently, as it was announced that “the definitive documentary” about Julie Andrews will be released for those with a Disney+ subscription in 2027. However, many assumed this was very bad news at first, because they thought the post was implying that the iconic actress had died.
To be clear, she’s alive. Fans simply misunderstood the documentary announcement, so let’s break it all down.
Disney+ Announced A New Documentary About Julie Andrews
The documentary about Julie Andrews was announced on July 22 across Disney+’s social media accounts. The post included an image of the actress as well as a statement about the legend she is. Here's what it said:
Courage, resilience, grace. The definitive documentary on the legendary Julie Andrews is coming to Disney+ in 2027.
The project will premiere on the 2027 movie schedule; however, a specific date and title have not been revealed. It’s being produced and directed by R.J. Cutler, who has directed documentaries like Belushi, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and American High.
With this project, we’ll get a look into Andrews’ life as it covers everything from “her early days in British vaudeville to her meteoric rise as a global superstar.” Themes of “resilience, heartbreak, reinvention and enduring grace” will be explored, and the documentary will feature footage and interviews that haven’t been seen before.
Like many, I grew up on Julie Andrews' movies, like The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and The Princess Diaries. So, I cannot wait to watch this next year. I’m also relieved that the news was about a documentary focused on her, not the much darker news some fans thought it was.
Fans Thought This Julie Andrews Died When They Saw This Post
Like I said, many didn’t get that this post was to announce a documentary at first. In fact, a lot of fans thought the 90-year-old actress had died, and this was a tribute to her. Here are some examples of people reacting to the nonexistent news:
- They cannot post a pic like this, I thought she was dead -@Shane_Monster
- If I see one more Disney+ ad about Julie Andrews that makes me think the worst happened -@SUNFLWRMAL
- DONT SCARE ME LIKE THST 😭 I thought she went to the kingdom above 😭-@melanwisegirl
- Bitch. I almost just started having the worst day -@R0SYLNS
- Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again -@wandasattorney
I do get why some thought Andrews had died and this post was a tribute to her. Tributes happen every time a well-known celebrity passes away. For example, right after news broke of Sam Neill’s death, fans, friends, and co-stars were posting tributes for the Jurassic Park star. If the Mary Poppins lead had died, her “courage, resilience, grace” would surely have been acknowledged in tributes.
But she’s not dead; she's alive and working.
She’s been the voice of Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton for four seasons, and I hope she’ll continue to be it for the new Lady Whistledown in Season 5. As showrunner Jess Brownell told CinemaBlend, they “didn’t want to squander the voice of Julie Andrews” after last season. So, I’d assume she’ll be back to tell us all the gossip going around the ton.
Along with that, The Princess Diaries 3 is in the works, and the author of the books said the script she read is “amazing.” So, hopefully said script includes Julie Andrews’ character. I mean, it’d be hard to have Princess Diaries without Clarisse Renaldi.
All this is to say, not only is Julie Andrews alive, there’s still opportunity to see her in new projects, including a documentary all about her life!
