Kenny Ortega Feels 'Very Grateful' That Fans Are Campaigning For Season 2 of 'Julie and The Phantoms'

Kenny Ortega is feeling the love.

The famed director, choreographer and executive producer of the Netflix musical series, Julie and the Phantoms, has been flooded with support from superfans since the show was canceled in December.

"I've been very fortunate over the last couple of decades where I've managed to accumulate quite a fan base," he tells PEOPLE. "Everywhere I traveled, no matter where I was, whether taking a vacation or on business, someone would find me to remind me that they had seen Julie and the Phantoms and that they had enjoyed it."

When Netflix made the decision to cancel the show a few months ago, despite its cult following and multiple Daytime Emmys, they allowed Ortega to break the news.

"There was disappointment, there was hurt and there was even anguish," Ortega recalls. "And then I kind of said, 'Look, whatever comes next, if it isn't a kind of afterlife for Julie, you'll always be in my heart, you'll always be in my thoughts and I will continue to make programs with you in mind."

But superfans of Ortega and the show had other things in mind. A movement to save the series immediately grew, including the creation of a website and funding for billboards across the world.

"We've had the show trending on Netflix and online in more than 30 countries and every trend takes days to plan," says SaraRose Freedman, the point person for JATP's global fanbase. "All the edits, fan art, and posts we make for the trends and the streaming parties take hours. Some fans have printed out flyers to post around their cities. Fans have raised money for charities that the cast members support… A common saying in our fandom is that 'this show is our lifeline.' We want content that gives us positive feelings during a dark time in our world."

Cianna Rees, co-creator of The Orpheum Tour: The JATP Billboard Project says the show and its soundtrack "became a beacon of light at a time of uncertainty, when so many of us were struggling with poor mental, and sometimes physical, health."

"Fans saw themselves and their feelings represented in Julie and The Phantoms, though the show's powerful message of hope and a diverse cast, including a Latinx lead and an LGBTQ+ love story that wasn't a coming out story," she adds.

Emma Suyasa reached out to Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Sydney, Australia, where she lives, and organized the first billboard. "To go hand in hand with the billboard, the website was built to serve as a hub for ideas and tips for people wanting to join the campaign for season two and now houses all the billboard pictures with an interactive map showcasing all the locations around the world," she says.

Maria Qamari, founder and CEO of Dream It Conventions and event organizer for JATP fan conferences, also says those who love the show have "done polls and petitions for us to do events in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Canada, the U.S., U.K., Germany, etc."

"We've decided to organize another event in Paris at the end of the year and we're currently working on a Julie & the Phantoms-themed convention in Brazil and in the U.S.," she adds. "This shows how big and global the movement is. The adventure isn't over yet. I feel like Julie and the Phantoms still has many stories to tell."

As for Ortega, the outpouring of support has made him feel "very grateful... Julie and the Phantoms is something that I'm very proud of and even if we have to walk away from it and this is the only example of it that we'll have, it's a good one and it'll stay out there," he says.

"Other generations will find it and continue to enjoy it and that makes me feel so good."

Season 1 of Julie and the Phantoms is now streaming on Netflix.