'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' Brings Magic to a New Generation

         On October 29, 2024, 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place', which is a sequel series to the iconic 'Wizards of Waverly Place', premiered on Disney Channel to predominantly positive reviews. In the series, when "Justin embraces mortality to live with his family; his new challenge arises when Alex introduces Billie, a wizard-in-training, seeking Justin's mentorship." The ensemble cast includes David Henrie, Selena Gomez, Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Taylor Cora, Max Matenko, and Mimi Gianopulos. Read the full review round-up below.

        Abigail Stevens of Screen Rant says, "The Wizards of Waverly Place revival sounds like it's trying to cash in on one of the ultimate examples of 2000s kids nostalgia, but Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a hilarious, heartrending, and magical watch. The now-adult Justin Russo (David Henrie), having been fired as the headmaster of WizTech, is living in the mortal world with his wife and two sons, who are unaware of his wizard heritage. That is, until his sister Alex (Selena Gomez) turns up with spunky 12-year-old wizard Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), with the request that Justin take her in and train her." Adding, "Kicking things off is the fantastic guest appearance by Gomez, who steps right back into the role of Alex, portraying her beloved sarcastic personality as well as the ways she has matured in the intervening years. Henrie is basically playing the same character as before and still has a great dynamic with Gomez. However, it is the new cast that impressively manages to all hold their own and endear themselves in a show that is banking on fondness for their predecessors."

Photo by Gui Avelar on Unsplash

       Beatrine Shahzad of Discussing Film notes, "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place doesn’t quite recreate what made the original series so special, but it casts a comforting and unique magic of its own." Concluding, "Gomez continues to bring a carefree, sarcastic attitude and defiant spirit to the screen, and Henrie still manages to balance Justin’s stickler attitude with the goofy physicality of the role. Justin is a major character in this sequel series, as the narrative focuses on ways for him to step out of his mortal life and build his confidence as a mentor figure. The newer cast members in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place have great chemistry with each other. Justin’s family is characterized similarly enough, but there are also enough differences in personalities to allow a good comedic back-and-forth between them. The show itself is an enjoyably breezy watch and very episodic in nature, with each episode containing a strong Disney moral at the center of it. It’s silly enough for children without seeming too off-putting for adults, with a healthy mix of jokes targeted towards all age ranges."