Insights on the Reboot – Hollywood Life
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Everything is just as it seems now that Wizards of Waverly Place got a sequel series! The hit Disney Channel sitcom made such a magical impact on viewers, that it is now getting the reboot treatment during this ongoing era of sequels, prequels and re-quels! The plot of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place focuses on one major character’s human life away from the wizard world alongside a brand-new cast. And fans have one huge character to look forward to seeing in the pilot episode: Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo!
On January 26, 2024, David DeLuise and David Henrie, who played father and son on the series, took to Instagram to share a group photo with Selena and fellow costar Maria Canals-Barrera. “The Russos ❤️coming back,” they captioned it, hinting that the snapshot was taken recently. Jake T. Austin also recently reposted his former co-stars’ posts to his Instagram Story, hinting that he may make an appearance.
Just a few days before that, Selena and some of her costars were seen in the first apparent behind-the-scenes photos from the set of the sequel. They all gathered together and posed while looking as happy as could be.
To learn about the cast, release date, plot, and more on the sequel, keep reading!
‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ Cast
Selena is appearing in the show’s pilot episode. However, it is not currently known whether she will return as Alex Russo in the subsequent episodes. The Hulu actress’ TV brother, David Henrie, is reprising his role as Justin Russo as a series regular.
New faces are all part of the cast, including Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, and Mimi Gianopulos.
The original series starred Jake T. Austin as Max, David DeLuise as Jerry, Jennifer Stone as Harper, and Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa. Other stars included Gregg Sulkin as Alex’s boyfriend, Mason, and Bridgit Mendler as Justin’s girlfriend, Juliet.
In response to a social media comment, David reassured fans that he and the rest of the OGs are planning on coming back for the new series. “We definitely plan on bringing back the original cast for the series order,” David commented.
What Will the ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Sequel Be About?
Per the outlet, the new series will show Justin living a normal life away from the Wizard World. Following a mysterious incident at WizardTech, a powerful young wizard named Billie needs training and seeks Justin’s help. However, the now-adult Justin is living life as a human with his wife and kids. Now, he has to revisit his past to help the new wizard learn the ropes.
When Jimmy Kimmel asked Selena about the “reboot” in a February 2024 interview, she explained that he wasn’t using the right terminology for the show. “It’s not a reboot. It’s gonna be a different version, I guess,” she said. “It’s gonna be really fun. I was excited to bring the characters back.”
‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Premiere Date
The first two episodes will premiere on the Disney Channel on October 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Disney+ will stream the first eight episodes on October 30.
The original show aired from 2007 to 2012.
According to multiple outlets, Raven’s Home star Raven-Symoné and Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel are directing episodes of season 1.
Why Did ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ End?
The series reportedly ended for Selena to obtain different acting roles. However, she has never publicly confirmed this rumor. One year after the show concluded, the cast reunited for a TV movie sequel titled The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex.
In 2023, Jennifer revealed during an episode of her and David’s podcast, “Wizards of Waverly Pod,” that Selena turned down the opportunity in an “Alex-Harper spinoff” because of her hectic schedule.
“Now, I don’t know how true this is, but I was told it was pitched to Selena — and I’ll have to ask her this because I’ve actually never asked her this — But I was told that it was pitched to Selena to do a Harper-Alex spinoff,” Jennifer said. “She said ‘no’ because she had a lot of other things going on.”