In 2007, Wizards of Waverly Place made its mark on Disney Channel. Now, 17 years later, a sequel spin-off is following the beloved show’s footsteps, and that’s Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows an adult, Justin Russo (David Henrie), who has chosen to lead a daily, mortal life with his family, Giada (Mimi Gianopulos), Roman (Alkaio Thiele), and Milo (Max Matenko).
But when Justin’s sister Alex (Selena Gomez) brings Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) to his home seeking help, Justin realizes he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World.
The show, executive produced by Gomez and Henrie, also features Winter (Taylor Cora), who’s Roman and Billie’s friend.
“I remember the first scene I had with Selena where it was Justin and Alex for the first time in, you know, 13 years or whatever it was. Not a moment was missed,” Henrie tells Celeb Secrets reporter Lupe LLerenas about Wizards Beyond Waverly Place during a virtual press conference. “It was like we had been doing it ever since the show ended. The chemistry was there, the banter, the timing, it was all right there.”
Henrie says creating the show’s timeless was challenging because he wanted to please viewers. “The pressure was certainly there because there’s a lot of expectation,” he adds. “When the announcement came out that we were doing this, the internet stopped working for a quick moment. So, there’s a lot of people with a lot of opinions and a lot of anticipation, so that pressure was certainly weighing down on me.”
Gomez and Henrie weren’t the only Disney stars returning for this project. Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel also directed a few episodes in season one.
“Getting to work with those two (Symoné and Fishel) was great,” shares Henrie. “I had a relationship with Raven for many years. I did That’s So Raven with her when I was a kid, so I had known her. I’d never met Danielle before, but I loved her character Topanga growing up, so that was that was a special one for me.”
The show’s younger cast also says they learned a lot from having both actresses on set. Theile says, “Raven was so helpful in terms of acting and keeping the rhythm.” LeAnn Brown adds that she shared “she had a lot of wisdom” to give them.
Ultimately, Henrie is excited for the world to enjoy Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. “I really was focused on trying to give that original fan a big old hug, but also invite in a whole new generation to experience the magic and the love of the Russo family in a whole new way,” says Henrie.
We’ve watched the first three episodes of the series, and yes, the much-loved Wizards of Waverly Place series continues with Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. This new series gives the show a new look and a nostalgic feeling. With the return of key characters like Justin Russo, Jerry Russo, and Selena Gomez, the show adds the perfect magical elements to mortal life.
Take a look at our interview below with David Henrie, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, Janice LeAnn Brown, and Mimi Gianopulos, in which we discussed everything about this highly-anticipated new show.
Be sure to catch Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Disney Channel TONIGHT, October 29 @ 8PM ET/PT, streaming next day on Disney+.