Last Updated on December 4, 2024 by Stephinie Heitman
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a 2024 TV series created by Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas. The film stars David Henrie, Janice LeAnn Brown, Mimi Gianopulos, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, Selena Gomez, Maria Canals-Barrera, David DeLuise, & Jake T. Austin., on October 27, 2024.
It is quite apparent that in modern Hollywood, everything goes in circles: sequels, new shoots, and revivals that are gaining momentum, and Disney Channel is no exception. In 2017, they gave us Raven’s Home, a spin-off of That’s So Raven where Raven is now a mother to a young boy who can see the future. They are now bringing back another iconic Disney show in 2024 with a new spin-off version of Wizards of Waverly Place. In the spin-off titled Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, an adult Justin Russo (David Henrie) is introduced as a main character who has to deal with a new rebellious character named Billie (played by Janice LeAnn Brown); she is a wizard-in-training who has been expelled from all the other wizard schools.
The storyline is quite reminiscent of the early storyline of the series where Justin’s father teaches him and his little sister Alex (Selena Gomez) sorcery. Then, the story was about the rivalry between the three Russo children as they were to compete in the family wizard competition that was set to determine who would be able to become the wizard in the family. Alex, infamous for causing mischief but possessing amazing magical abilities, won while Justin was also let to keep his powers and was made the headmaster of a wizarding school. However, in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, it is revealed that Justin never worked in that place and now he is completely out of the magic universe.
The pilot episode of the reboot begins with a quirky portrayal of Selena Gomez as Alex who takes Billie to Justin’s typical middle-class neighborhood in Staten Island, New York. Some of the major changes include; Justin being happily married to a non-magical woman known as Giada (Mimi Gianopulos), They have two children and he works as a vice principal of a middle school. Alex assists Justin in overcoming his fears about his blunders educates Billie with the intervention of magic encourages him and inspires him stating that he was always a great teacher and a good brother to her.
I like how they brought Gomez and Henrie back to reprise their roles and still retain the characteristics of their characters only older now. Gomez is still cheerful and sarcastic as Alex and Henrie are strict but still Joker’s awkward and goofy assistant, Justin. In this series, Justin is not only the star of the show but the premise, which revolves around him learning to rebuild his confidence in mentoring a group of students.
The new cast members also bring a lot of charisma to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Justin’s family, despite being a spoof of the original Russo family, has distinct features that enhance the humorous aspect of the movie. It is entertaining, the host and the friends are funny, and they even incorporate jokes for children as well as jokes that grown-ups will find hilarious. It’s bursting with Disney-esque moral and behavioral allegories, but not overly sappy.
Another major shift in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is that the main characters are now in middle school instead of high school like in the show’s original version. Second, whereas the original is based on a city setting, this new version is based on a rather mundane suburban environment. The Russo’s new home is quite ordinary in appearance, save for the secret wizard hideout that will remind fans of the original.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is entertaining because of the principle of ‘the exotic element plunged into a foreign environment,’ which refers to Billie’s experience of adapting to the mortal world, the holiday, traditions, and animals. At the same time, she learns how to stand against her powers and control them as she wishes and wants. Another strength of the character Janice LeAnn Brown as Billie was that she had good on-screen chemistry with Justin’s sons, Roman portrayed by Alkaio Thiele, and Milo Russo played by Max Matenko. Roman is smarter and more responsible like his dad, while Milo is younger but a total comedian which I also felt resembled the sibling relationship in the original series of the cartoon. However, unlike the original, only Billie is undergoing magic training, while Justin’s children are still real people for now.
Another aspect that fans of the show may find quite unbelievable is that the world created still has not elaborated on the fact that Justin’s children are non-magical. Moreover, in the original series, Justin’s dad was not the chosen family wizard, but all three siblings received their spells. Perhaps it is because Justin married a human, but it remains to be seen whether this question will be addressed in later episodes.
In summary, I think that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is an excellent show for Disney Channel. It’s a family-friendly sitcom with humor that could be enjoyed by both children and adults while retaining the spirit of WOHP, especially the sarcastic humor. It may not be as enchanting as the first time, but it is a different kind of reassuring and invigorating. The first two episodes premiere on Disney Channel on October 29, while the first eight episodes are available on Disney+ the following day!
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Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Parents Guide
Nickel Boys is rated TV-PG by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA)
Violence: Very little, mostly mild action scenes where magical spells are cast and wizards fight each other. No violent scenes, mild fight scenes when necessary, and usually for comedic or imaginative moments.
Language: Rather moderate in terms of swearing and the overall number of curse words. Slang terms such as ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb’ may be used when two characters are joking or teasing one another in casual and/or friendly contexts.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: None. There are no indications of the use of alcohol, drugs, or smoking in the show.
Overall: Wizards Beyond Waverly Place can be recommended to most children who are at least 7 years old since it is quite educational and there is no violence or sexual content in this show. Responsibility, mentorship, and self-improvement are major themes of the show.
