“How can we make a show that can give a big warm hug to the original fan, but at the same time make that hug an invitation to recreate an experience they might’ve had when they were a kid watching the show with one of their parents?” David Henrie, star and executive producer of Disney’s Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, shared the approach he and the creative team of the sequel series to Wizards of Waverly Place used as they charged back into the magical world that now holds a nostalgic place in people’s hearts. The original series debuted on Disney Channel in 2007, telling the story of three wizard tweens in New York City living a double life in the mortal world. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place continues the show’s legacy, with David reprising his role as Justin Russo, now a father tasked with a similar job of educating young minds in the magical arts the same way his father taught him.
(Disney/Kyusung Gong)
“Hopefully, the original fan watching will grab one of their kids or a niece or a nephew or a little cousin or someone they’re babysitting and recreate that special experience”, David Henrie shared, highlighting how Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is still aimed at a young audience like the original series, but also extends an open invitation to adults who grew up with the original series. “I really was focused on trying to give that person 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.”
Just like his father before him, Justin has married a mortal, and at the beginning of the series, she has no clue that her husband is a wizard. Playing Giada Russo is Mimi Gianopulos, who discussed the joys of playing a Disney Channel mom during a press conference for the new series. “It’s easy when you’re acting opposite David,” Mimi explained. “He is so funny and so good at what he does and so at home in who Justin is. I really felt like it was my job to just meet him where he is. The writers give us so much great stuff to do but really wanted to show this is a real marriage. We’re both married in real life, and so there are oftentimes scenes they’ll write us where I’ll go, like, ‘Do they have cameras in my house, because my husband and I have had this exact conversation.’ We immediately got along, and with the kids, they’re incredible. I’m not a mom yet in real life, but I always joke this is great training. And we tried to find things about one another that felt real and felt like a real point of connection so that that would come across in our chemistry.”
With Justin and Giada effectively taking over the roles of Justin’s parents, Jerry and Theresa, the young actors also fill in character arcs that fit the original Russo siblings. Their oldest son, Roman, has much in common with Justin, and actor Alkaio Thiele shared his entry into this magical world. “I’ve never really done something with this much magic and sparkles and effects,” the young actor shared. “It’s really cool because when we’re filming, we just have to act like they’re there, and that’s hard sometimes because we don’t know what it’s gonna look like, and you just kind of have to trust that it’s gonna turn out. But watching it back, you get to see why you were doing the things you were doing and how it all ties together, and I think it’s really cool that you just have to trust, and then you’ll get to see how it turns out.”
(Disney/Kyusung Gong)
The youngest Russo is Milo, played by Max Matenko, who feels evocative of Justin’s younger brother Max. “On my first live show, I was just really scared,” Max revealed about filming in front of a live studio audience. “I had butterflies, and [David] called us all over, and he told us, ‘We’re doing this to make a kid smile, to make a kid laugh,’ and I’ve got Disney, and I’ve watched that, and I’ve been that kid. I love that feeling of being able to make the kid laugh and make the kid smile.”
Justin and Giada don’t have a daughter, nor is Justin’s family aware that he’s a wizard until his sister Alex shows up with a request that her brother take in a highly skilled but mischievous girl named Billie, who reminds Alex of her younger self. “I remember Selena [Gomez] telling me, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna be a little awkward at first, but then the wand will turn into your best friend,’” actress Janice LeAnn Brown said about inheriting a magic wand to wield as Billie. Selena Gomez kept Alex’s wand in her boot, and Janice tried to emulate that in the sequel series. “I put my wand in my sleeve sometimes, so the wand is definitely becoming my best friend, just like she said. It’s super fun.“
Billie becomes an honorary Russo, forcing Justin to pick his wand back up and become her teacher. But just like Harper on the original show, Billie’s new mortal friend, Winter, also becomes an integral part of the family’s dynamic. “David was telling us how he was afraid to ask for help because he didn’t want to seem like he didn’t know what he was doing,” shared Taylor Cora, who plays Billie’s friend Winter. “He taught us that it’s okay to not know exactly what you’re doing as long as you ask for help so that you can eventually figure it out.“
(Disney/Kyusung Gong)
David Henrie and Selena Gomez hadn’t played Justin and Alex since the 2013 hour-long special, The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex. Selena Gomez returns as a guest star in addition to being an executive producer on the sequel series. “I remember the first scene I had with Selena where it was Justin and Alex for the first time in 13 years or whatever; it was like not a moment was missed,” David Henrie revealed. “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. It was really easy at the same time, but also really hard, but we’ve taken very seriously the development of the show, so we really are excited for original fans and new fans to have this experience.”
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premieres tonight at 8/7c on Disney Channel. The first 8 episodes will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning Wednesday, October 30th.