‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ Is the TV Reboot Millennials Have Been Waiting For

I wasn’t yet a parent in 2007 when Wizards of Waverly Place premiered and became a must-watch series on the Disney Channel. It aired for four seasons until 2012 and made a then teen Selena Gomez a household name.

I was a huge fan of the magical series centered around Alex Russo (Gomez), a teenage wizard living on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village with her siblings, Justin Russo (David Henrie) and Max Russo (Jake T. Austin).

All three undergo training to learn how to take over their family’s magical abilities—while trying to keep it a secret from their friends. I always felt that Wizards of Waverly Place was special. Yes, the Russos were part of a fantasy world but their struggles and stories of family, friendship, growing up, and finding yourself were all very real and relatable. 

So, when the internet started rumbling with rumors of a reboot, I was excited at the prospect of watching as a parent and introducing my 9-year-old daughter to the Russo clan. I knew if the rumors were true this wouldn't be your average update. Not only has the cast stayed close but they’ve all praised their special time filming the original series. Gomez even kept her wand and, in 2022, documented her pilgrimage back to “where it all began” on Instagram.

Then, earlier this year, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place was confirmed—with Gomez and Henrie both serving as executive producers. Gomez will guest star, but Henrie’s character Justin (and his family) are now the main focus.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premieres with two episodes on October 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Disney Channel (and then the first nine episodes will be available on Disney+ the next day, October 30). 

How Selena Gomez and David Henrie Brought the Show Back to Life

I had the opportunity to chat with the cast and was pleased to discover that discussions about bringing back Wizards of Waverly Place had been happening for a long time. Henrie says there wasn’t one specific moment when everyone was ready—it just happened organically.

“Selena and I had the closest relationship and it stayed intact after the show ended. Selena became good friends with my wife, and we'd hang out on a regular basis, drinking wine, talking about what the show meant to us and where our characters might be,” shares Henrie. “I started having kids and as time passed, it got to a point where Selena and I were both like, ‘We should just have this same conversation—without wine—in front of Disney and see how it goes.’”   

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place was born! It follows Justin, now an adult who has left the wizarding world behind to lead a normal, mortal life with his family—wife Giada (Mimi Gianopulos) and sons Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko).

Of course, things go off the rails when his sister Alex shows up with a young wizard in training named Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown). Alex needs Justin to come out of wizarding retirement to help Bille—and even allow her to move in.

A Fresh Take on the Russo Family

According to Henrie, centering the show around Billie, a rebellious teen also dealing with a secret wizard life, “unlocked the engine” of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

“What made the original show special was the timeless family values and how we told that in many different ways, took it seriously, and didn't dumb it down for kids,” Henrie explains. “It got messy at times and it got dramatic at times, and I think what set us apart is that we didn't just stay fluffy. And on the surface, we told real stories about family in the original show.”

Henrie knew it was a difficult task for producers to bring that back to a new generation.

“We realized that the best way to do that was to contrast those values with a character that's the opposite—you have this tight-knit family and you bring in Billie, a character who's misunderstood, hasn't felt accepted, and has never really had a true family,” says Henrie. “It was a wonderful vehicle to ignite things in the first season because it's going to take a long time to try to win over someone's heart who is wounded from the past and doesn't trust family. It was such a fertile way to retell those stories [from the original] in a whole new way.”  

Although new to the series, Gianopulos watched the original show with her two little sisters, so she was familiar with the heart and soul of the Russo family. Even though the magic and special effects are still there to make Wizards Beyond Waverly Place a fun watch, Gianopulos was impressed with how Gomez, Henrie, and the rest of the writers and producers were so intentional about bringing back the values of teamwork, friendship, family, and always having each other's backs.

“You wanted to be part of the Russo family; you wanted to be in there with them even if that wasn't your family dynamic,” says Gianopulos. “I think they've really honored that with this continuation. The characters are always learning something and growing. It really is the nicest mix of heart, humor, and magic.”

Mentoring the Next Generation of Stars

Many of the young actors on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place weren’t even born when the original series premiered. That’s not to say they weren’t keenly aware of the show’s devout fan base which has been anxiously waiting for the Russo family’s return. Lucky for them all, Henrie was there to guide and support them every step of the way.

Matenko, who plays Milo, was terrified before live tapings in front of a studio audience—something he’d never done before. Henrie gave all the young cast a much-appreciated pep talk, which really made an impact.

“David called us all over and said, ‘We're doing this to make a kid smile. We're doing this to make a kid laugh, to make some kid happy at home that's not having the greatest day,’’ recalls Matenko. “I could relate to that because I love Disney and whenever I don't have a good day, I just watch Disney and it makes me smile, it makes me laugh, and to have that feeling of knowing that I can make that feeling for others—it's just so amazing.”

Taylor Cora, who plays Billie’s best friend Winter, was grateful for the advice Henrie gave based on his own experiences as a child actor.

“David shared how he was afraid to ask for help because he didn't want to seem like he didn't know what he was doing,” Cora says. “He taught us that it's OK to not know exactly what you're doing—as long as you ask for help so you can eventually figure it out.” 

Henrie also gave Thiele, who plays Roman, some good advice: to be a “nice, humble person” no matter how much their lives change from the show.

"I know that's simple, but I really liked it, because it's really easy to get sucked up in the fame and fortune of it all, and it's really easy to become kind of arrogant. And I certainly don't want to be like that,” says Thiele. “I really thought that it was cool that I have people helping me stay humble and just be a normal person.”

But perhaps the best part of starring in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is the opportunity to reflect on a major life question: could they hide it from their friends and family if they were a wizard?

“I tell my parents everything, probably too much. They probably tell me too much,” says Thiele. “It would come out eventually—and even if it didn't, I would tell them. I trust them too much. I don't like secrets.”

Matenko also wouldn’t want to keep it a secret because “it would be ‘cool’ to be able to say, ‘I'm a wizard.’" Plus, he admits to not being a very good secret keeper!