In a project that promises to be as high-octane as it is emotionally raw, Netflix has officially greenlit Kinetic, a sweeping six-part limited series directed by the genre-defining choreographer and filmmaker Adam Shankman (Hairspray, A Walk to Remember). With a production budget reported at $65 million, the documentary series aims to deconstruct the image of “America’s Sweetheart” to reveal the complex, disciplined, and spiritual artist underneath the sequins.
While Julianne Hough has spent most of her life in front of a camera—smiling, spinning, and scoring perfect 10s—Kinetic is described as an “un-producing” of her life. It is a study of a woman who learned to perform before she learned to speak, and her decades-long journey to find a voice that didn’t require a soundtrack.
The London Exile: A Childhood Interrupted
The series begins with a chapter that reads more like a drama than a dance documentary. Titled “The London Years,” the first episode utilizes grainy home video footage and new, tearful interviews to recount the pivotal moment when a 10-year-old Hough left her family in Utah to live and train in London.
“We often look at child prodigies and see the talent, but we rarely see the sacrifice,” director Adam Shankman noted in the press release. “Julianne’s childhood was essentially a Harry Potter-esque boarding school existence, but instead of magic, it was the brutal, competitive world of international ballroom dancing. She had to grow up in fast-forward.”
Viewers will see the stark contrast between the bright lights of the Blackpool Dance Festival and the loneliness of a young girl living thousands of miles from her parents. This section establishes the foundation of her psyche: the intense drive for perfection and the belief that love is earned through performance.
The Golden Girl’s Burden
Central to the series narrative is the explosion of Dancing with the Stars. Kinetic takes viewers back to the mid-2000s, when Hough burst onto the scene with Apolo Anton Ohno, instantly becoming the face of the franchise.
However, the series pulls back the curtain on the “spray tan and smiles” era. Insiders suggest the documentary explores the immense pressure placed on Hough to maintain a pristine, controversy-free image while navigating her late teens in the Hollywood spotlight. It touches on the blurring of lines between reality TV and actual reality, and how the “character” of Julianne Hough began to consume the person.
“I was winning trophies, but I was losing myself,” Hough reveals in a voiceover from the trailer. “I thought if I stopped moving, I would disappear.”
Nashville, Hollywood, and the Pivot
The middle chapters cover Hough’s ambitious attempts to break out of the “dancer” box. The series chronicles her venture into country music and her transition to leading lady in films like Safe Haven and Rock of Ages.
Interestingly, the series devotes significant time to her starring role as Sandy in Grease: Live. This is framed as a moment of professional vindication—a high-stakes tightrope walk where her singing, dancing, and acting abilities finally coalesced in real-time, silencing critics who viewed her only as a reality star.
The Body Keeps the Score
Perhaps the most vulnerable segment of the series deals with Hough’s physical and emotional health. Kinetic does not shy away from her public battle with endometriosis. For the first time, cameras follow her into doctor’s appointments and through days of debilitating pain, shattering the illusion of the “invincible athlete.”
This section also addresses the scrutiny of her personal relationships, including her high-profile romances and her marriage. It explores the pain of living out a “happily ever after” narrative in the tabloids while privately deconstructing what she actually wanted from life and partnership. It paints a portrait of a woman unlearning the societal expectations placed on her upbringing.
The Energy Alchemist
The final acts of the series explore her radical “third act”: the founding of Kinrgy and her spiritual awakening. The documentary captures the moment Hough decided to stop performing for others and start moving for herself.
We see the “exorcism” style dance sessions that went viral, but the series contextualizes them not as internet oddities, but as profound somatic healing. We witness Hough as a CEO and a wellness leader, guiding others to release trauma through movement. It shows a shift from the rigid technique of the ballroom—where every finger placement is judged—to the chaotic, free-flowing expression of her current philosophy.
A Cinematic Rhythm
Visually, Kinetic is a tour de force. Filmed across the grey skies of London, the neon of Nashville, and the sun-drenched studios of Los Angeles, the editing mimics the rhythm of a dance—fast, slow, breathless, and eventually, still.
Adam Shankman sums up the project’s ambition: “This isn’t just a show about a dancer. It’s about the human need to be seen, not just watched. Julianne is a kinetic force, but this series is about the moment she finally stopped running and planted her feet.”
The trailer ends with a powerful shot: Hough in a simple rehearsal room, barefoot, no makeup, scrubbing off the last bit of stage glitter. She takes a deep breath, looks at the mirror, and for the first time, doesn’t smile for the camera—she just breathes.
Kinetic is slated for a global release next spring, promising to move audiences in more ways than one.
