When Wizards of Waverly Place premiered on Disney Channel in 2007, the show instantly became one of Disney’s most popular classics. Now, new and original members of the Russo family return in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, a spin-off sequel which will premiere on Disney on October 29. The show has already garnered massive interest and nostalgia, as its trailer set a Disney record with over 69 million views in only 10 days. Before the series release, Young Entertainment spoke with David Henrie, Janice LeAnn Brown, Mimi Gianopulos, Taylor Cora, Alkaio Thiele, and Max Matenko to learn more about all the new characters and what to expect from the enchanting revival.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows David Henrie’s iconic character Justin Russo as he embraces mortality to live a normal life with his family. This lifestyle is challenged when a powerful young wizard named Billie comes to him in search of training and Justin’s mentorship. In addition to Justin, Janice stars as Billie, Mimi plays Giada Russo, Justin’s mortal wife, Alkaio plays Roman Russo and Max plays Milo Russo, Justin’s sons, and Taylor stars as Winter, Billie’s best friend.
In addition to the new castmates, the show also brings back some of the original characters, as Selena Gomez (Alex Russo), Maria Canals-Barrera (Theresa Russo), David DeLuise (Jerry Russo) and Jake T. Austin (Max Russo) all make their returns to Waverly Place in guest starring roles.
David also acts as an executive producer on the new spin-off, and all the new cast members learned so much from him and his experience on the original series. Both Janice and Mimi said David set the tone on set each day, and made it such a collaborative and fun environment, especially for the young actors on the show.
David said filming this spin-off gave him a constant reminder of how much fun it is as an actor and how lucky he is to be in this profession. David said he wanted to create a show that can make anyone smile or brighten their day and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place does just that!
David: “When you are working with kids, it really does remind you about the fun of what you do and the joy of what you do.”
While Selena Gomez who plays Alex Russo, one of Disney Channel’s most iconic characters, is only a guest star, she plays a major role in the first episode alongside Billie. Janice said Selena taught her to not let anyone block her sunlight and to not be so hard on herself and just have fun while on set. Talk about being an inspiration for the younger talents in the industry!
“The biggest advice [Selena Gomez] has given me is don’t let anyone block your sunlight.”
There are so many incredible characters that were a part of the original series, and we asked some of the cast who they would love to see return. Both Jennifer Stone who played Harper and Greg Sulkin who played Mason were teased, and now we are obsessed with this potential reunion!
Thank you to David, Janice, Mimi, Taylor, Alkaio, and Max for chatting with Young Entertainment. Make sure to follow them on their Instagram’s at @davidhenrie, @janiceleannbrown, @mimigianopulos, @liltaylorcora, @alkaio.thiele, and @max.matenko. Be sure to watch the rest of the interview where we ask each of them to say what they think would be in their character’s spellbooks. While you’re there, be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- Don’t be afraid to try new things on set. You can always do another take and mess up and often the best scenes are the ones you improv or don’t expect.
- When you’re just starting out in the acting world, don’t be so hard on yourself. Do not take any feedback or advice too hard and live in the moment, you’ve made it!
