"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" once again casts its spell on Disney

October 30, 2024

Courtesy: Disney

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is the highly anticipated sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place, the Disney teen sitcom which ran from 2007-2012. The original series followed the Russo family and their three teenage witches in training led by Selena Gomez, who starred as Alex Russo, competing with her two brothers, Justin and Max, for sole ownership of their powers while getting sage advice from their father, a former wizard, on using their powers responsibly. Selena Gomez returns in the sequel, which premiered on The Disney Channel on October 29 and aired on Disney+ the following day. New episodes will drop weekly on Tuesdays and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+ with ten episodes through November 22.

The series stars:

• David Henrie as Justin Russo

• Selena Gomez as Alex Russo

• Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo

• David DeLuise as Jerry Russo

• Jake T. Austin as Max Russo

• Janice LeAnn Brown as Billie

• Alkaio Thiele as Roman Russo

• Max Matenko as Milo Russo

• Mimi Gianopulos as Giada Russo

• Taylor Cora as Winter

Courtesy: Disney

The original series was highly acclaimed, with the series finale being the most-watched original series on the Disney channel. Noted for its comedy, family, and friendship themes, it spawned two highly successful TV specials, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in 2009 (which garnered a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program) and The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex in 2013. With its whimsical magic elements, the series was a smash hit with teens for it's humor and wholesome subject matters that made them instantly relatable with their diverse multi-cultural backgrounds. In the season finale, Alex wins the competition after Justin gifts it to her and gains full use of her powers. Justin became a wizard after becoming the master at WizTech, a boarding school for young wizards-in-training, and Max loses his powers and becomes the new owner of the family's restaurant, "Waverly Sub Station". 

The official synopsis for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows an adult, Justin Russo, who has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family, Giada, Roman, and Milo. When Justin's sister Alex brings Billie 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.

It's been 12 years since the original series ended and the sequel once again casts its magic spell with humor, fun, and excitement. Seeing Justin all grown up with kids of his own brings out the nostalgia tenfold as he matures into a grounded family man from his earlier days. Gomez is always a delight, and Brown as Billie is an absolute gem. She feels a lot like Alex in the original series, and has a lot of familiar themes that feel very heartwarming. The sequel has given the franchise a lot of legs with new characters to build on who can easily take up the mantle that Alex and Justin left behind. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a terrific follow-up filled with nostalgia, fresh faces, and exciting new storylines for older and newer fans.

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Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is currently streaming on Disney+.

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Created by Todd J. Greenwald, the series is developed by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. Executive produced by Elinoff, Thomas, Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Gary Marsh, Andy Fickman, and Jonas Agin. Produced by Greg A. Hampson and Stefen Maekawa with production companies are Entertainment Force, Potato Monkey Productions, and It's a Laugh Productions.

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