Behind the Magic: A Q&A with the Cast of ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ – The Iconic Disney Channel Series Reboot Now Streaming on Disney Plus and The Disney Channel!

Behind the Magic: A Q&A with the Cast of ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ – The Iconic Disney Channel Series Reboot Now Streaming on Disney Plus and The Disney Channel! Tuesday 29 October, 2024

Hold onto your wands! The beloved Disney series “Wizards of Waverly Place” is back with a reboot, “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.” Originally captivating viewers from 2007 to 2012, the show followed siblings Alex, Justin, and Max (Jake T. Austin) as they competed for the title of family wizard.

This reboot features original stars Selena Gomez and David Henrie, who is reprising his role, and is directed by Disney legends Danielle Fishel (Boy Meets World) and Raven Symoné (That’s So Raven). Premiering just in time for Halloween on October 29 on Disney Channel (and streaming the next day on Disney+), it promises to enchant a new generation.

The new cast includes Justin’s two sons (played by Alkaio Thiele and Max Matenko), along with Billie and her friend Winter (Taylor Cora), targeting kids aged six to 11. Janice LeAnn Brown is casting a spellbinding charm as the new series lead in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Bringing her undeniable #BlackGirlMagic to the “Wizards” franchise as the young sorceress “Billie”, alongside her on-screen best friend “Winter” (played by newcomer Taylor Cora), Janice is reimagining Disney Channel’s iconic “Wizards” world franchise with a fresh and captivating perspective.

We had the chance to chat with the cast, including David Henrie, Mimi Gianopulos, Alkaio Thiele, Taylor Cora, and Janice LeAnn Brown, about this exciting reboot. So, grab your wands and get ready for some magical fun!

Question for David: What were the elements of these characters that you were most excited to explore this season?

David Henrie: Yeah, for- for me, my focus really was on trying to focus was really a little bigger than just something character-focused, like I was really trying to recreate something that we had in the old show for a whole new generation, so for me I was like, how can we make a show that can give a big warm hug to the original fan, but at the same time make that hug also an invitation to recreate an experience they might’ve had when they were a kid watching the show with one of their

parents?

So hopefully the original fan watching will grab a-one of their kids or a niece or a nephew or a little cousin or someone they’re babysitting and recreate that special experience. If they want to watch it on their own, that’s totally fine too, but I really was focused on trying to give that person a big old hug, but also invite in a whole new generation to experience the magic and the love of the Russo family in a whole

new way.

Question for David: What was it like coming back after this many years and was it easy to step back into him or was it difficult to find him again?

David Henrie: You know, it was insanely difficult and ultimately easy, all at the same

time. The pressure was certainly there because there’s a lot of expectation, and when the announcement came out that we were doing this, so there’s a lot of people with a lot of opinions and a lot of anticipation, so that pressure was certainly weighing down the development of the show, so we really are excited for original fans and new fans to have this experience.

How did the kids feel about shooting with the special effects?

Alkaio Thiele: I don’t know about everybody else, but I’ve never really done something with this much magic and sparkles and effects.

And I think it’s really cool, because when we’re filming, we just have to act like they’re there, and that’s hard sometimes because, you know we don’t know what it’s gonna look like and you just kind of have to trust that it’s gonna turn out. But watching it back, you get to see why you were doing the things you were doing and how it all ties together, and I think it’s really cool that you just have to trust and then you’ll get to see how it turns out.

Taylor Cora: Yeah it’s similar for me. This is my first big role and the show has a lot of special effects, so this is my first time really doing something with acting with special effects. It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge and it’s one of the reasons why I love being on the show so much. I really love seeing how it all works out in the end.

Max Matenko: Yeah, I think it’s so interesting too just to see, like, because I as a kid watched a lot of, like, magic shows and, like, fiction shows and it’s interesting to see how this all works out, like how this appears, how that appears, and I think it’s just so much fun to be doing that with all the effects.

Question for Mimi: How did you guys create that family dynamic and have it come across the screen so successfully in only the first three

episodes?

Mimi Gianopulos: It’s easy when you’re acting

opposite David. He is so funny and so good at what he does and so at home in who Justin is. I really felt like it was my job to sort of meet him where he is and really create a realistic- you know, the writers give us so much great stuff to do, but really wanted to show this is a real marriage, you know.

We’re both married in real life and so there are oftentimes scenes they’ll write us where I’ll go,

like, “Do they have cameras in my house, because my husband and I have had this exact conversation.” So a lot of that came so easily—we immediately got along, and with the kids, I mean, they’re not incredible. I’m not a mom yet in real life, but I always joke this is, like, great training. We just sort of tried to find things about one another that felt real and felt like a real point of connection so that would come across in our chemistry.

David Henrie: Yeah, Mimi’s great too, and I’m Italian, so that we always felt like when we met, I was like “Oh, you know, it’s like same corporation, different divisions.”

We feel like we’re all in the same family early on, so for Mimi in particular as my wife in the show, we got along immediately. My wife and her get along, I get along with her husband, so, like, we instantly clicked, and that’s an important part of the family, you know, that kind of sets the tone for everything.

Question Janice LeAnn Brown: What was it like for you to play a wizard and be all cool with that wand? What did that

feel like for you?

Janice LeAnn Brown: I think it was very fun. From the beginning it was a little awkward, especially seeing how, like, the results came on camera and everything, and I remember Selena telling me, “Yeah, it’s gonna be a little awkward at first, but then the wand will turn into your best friend.” I even named the wand Bobby. I have a name for my wand!

David Henrie: Well, and you found a new place for it.

Janice LeAnn Brown: Yes.

David Henrie: ’Cause Selena kept hers.

Janice LeAnn Brown: Mm-hm. I put mine- so should…

David Henrie: No, you- you tell the story. Hers was in her boot, yeah.

Janice LeAnn Brown: So obviously, I think we all know the iconic wand in boot that Alex has. I put my wand in my sleeve sometimes. So, yeah. So the wand is definitely becoming my best friend just like she said. So it’s super fun.

What was it like working with Raven Symone & Danielle as a director?

Alkaio Thiele: Raven she so helpful in terms of acting and keeping rhythm. She had strategies and methods that I never thought of, never heard of before. We all still use them in these

episodes and her advice was so valuable that it’s really elevated my performance.

Janie LeAnn Brown: Yeah, I was gonna say I think we learned a lot from Ms.Raven as well ’cause I think she had a lot of wisdom to give us. Because, you know, she was in it for so long, and honestly, I learned a lot from her. Like, you know, kind of piggybacking off of what Alkaio said, there were things that I haven’t even heard of that she said that actually kind of worked for me too. And then Ms. Danielle, she was just such an angel and she was so sweet and she was so funny.

Like, honestly, I think the best way I can describe her is a very classy, lovely woman. She had also a lot of wisdom and advice to give us that I think really stuck with me as well. She was just such a great person to work with and I would hope that we would get to work with her again and it was just such an honor to have her.

David Henrie: I had a relationship with Raven for many years—I did That’s So Raven with her

when I was a kid, I had known her. I’d never met Danielle before and I loved her character Topanga growing up, so that was that was a special one for me.

And just getting to see her surpass my already high expectations was so lovely. She really does have a class, have a style and also, she brings a lot to the table as an actor as well. So getting to work with an actor/director like that was everything you hope for; ’cause she’s empowering, she’s caring, she’s sensitive, she

knows what she’s doing, and she’d get in there with you as an actor and kind of block things with you or hold props or kind of work it out in her head. So you really feel like you’re working with a peer.

I was so happy to get to work with her and to have her surpass my high expectations.

Premiering Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Disney Channel and next day on Disney+

About the Blogger - Kiwi the Beauty

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