Before My Oxford Year was a book or a movie, Whelan was originally hired to work on a screenplay that Burnett had started. However, as she began assisting on the screenplay, Whelan thought the story needed a longer version, so she transitioned from writing a script to writing the novel.

ScreenRant interviews My Oxford Year stars Corey Mylchreest and Sofia Carson about their work bringing the Julia Whelan book adaptation to life.