If you were a fellow Disney channel-obsessed kid like I was, get ready to hear some magical (wink) news. On Jan. 18, it was announced that Wizards of Waverly Place will be getting a sequel. And it gets even better: Selena Gomez, who played Alex Russo, will be reprising the role, as well as her on-screen brother, David Henrie, who played Justin Russo.
According to Deadline, Disney Branded Television has ordered a pilot for the sequel, which will be executive-produced by Gomez and Henrie. However, Gomez will not be in the entire series. Deadline reported,“Gomez will guest star in the pilot for Disney Channel as the character that helped launch her career, Alex Russo, with David Henrie reprising the role of Justin Russo as a series regular.” While I would love nothing more than for Gomez to be a series regular, I’ll take a guest star appearance and producer title over nothing.
Henrie, an OG Wizards Of Waverly Place cast member, will be joined by a few new cast members. Some of those cast members include Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, and Mimi Gianopulos. Writers and executive producers of the series are also behind another Disney Channel spinoff, Raven’s Home.
While we don’t know too much about the series yet, we do know where the show picks off. “It picks up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife and two sons,” Deadline reports. “But he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.”
The sequel will follow Justin as he takes a powerful young wizard named Billie, played by Brown, under his wing. Justin’s son, Roman, will be played by Thiele, and Gianopulos will play Justin’s wife, Giada. Two other executive producers have been announced, Gary Marsh and Andy Flickman, who will also be directing the series. Marsh played a big role in Wizards Of Waverly Place and also helped Gomez get on the Network.
While Gomez and Henrie will be a part of the sequel, it has not been announced if other OG cast members will be involved. Some of those people include Jake T. Austin, Maria Canals-Barrera, and notably, Jennifer Stone and David DeLuise, who have a podcast called “Wizards of Waverly Pod,” where they rewatch the series, talk about never-before-seen moments, and host interviews. However, an episode has not been released since Feb. 2023.
I’m a sucker for anything Disney, especially if Selena Gomez is involved. I can’t wait to see how this show turns out! In the meantime, you can find me practicing some magic tricks and potions to see if I can guest star in the sequel.