Good news for Disney Channel fans: Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel will direct Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. This reboot of Wizards of Waverly Place offers a nostalgic return for fans of the original Disney Channel series, especially with Symoné and Fishel, who were prominent figures in their earlier careers.
The two actresses are well-known for their roles in That's So Raven and Girl Meets World. They are taking on behind-the-scenes roles to contribute their creative ideas to the revival series. Disney has announced that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will premiere its first two episodes on October 29, 2024, on the Disney Channel. The entire eight-episode season will be available on Disney+ starting the next day.
The show follows Justin Russo, played by David Henrie, as he juggles the ups and downs of living a normal life while dealing with his family and the surprise comeback of magic. Even though Selena Gomez's character, Alex Russo, isn't a main character this time, she's confirmed to be showing up for a guest spot in the first episode, and fans are excited about it.
Behind the scenes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place with Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel
The involvement of Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel as directors adds to the anticipation for the reboot. Both have significant experience with Disney Channel and have been part of some of its most successful shows.
Raven, with her comedic skills and presence, is bringing a lot to the table as a director, more so after her success with Raven’s Home. Fishel, who played Topanga Lawrence and directed episodes of Girl Meets World, puts her special touch to the series.
Since their Disney Channel days, Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel have stayed in the entertainment industry. Raven-Symoné starred in Raven's Home from 2017 to 2023 and in shows like Black-ish and The Masked Singer. She even co-hosted The View. Fishel has directed series like Girl Meets World and guest appeared on shows like Full House and Gravity Falls.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a reunion with twists
The Wizards of Waverly Place reboot has both Selena Gomez and David Henrie as executive producers. These stars, now much older, aim to keep the mojo going, but with more adult perspectives this time.
Henrie shared in an interview with ABC 7 News,
"The original fan has gotten older. They’re having kids now. Like, I’ve got three kids. We want to recreate a show for them."
He added:
"So, it’s in the same spirit as the original, but it’s in a whole new lane that will make the original fan happy and a new fan, ’cause there’s all sorts of fun throwbacks, Easter eggs, questions that stretch out over a whole season that pay homage to the original show."
The show is about Justin Russo. He has decided to live a non-magical life with his wife, Giada. Together they have two kids, Roman and Milo. But everything changes when Alex shows up with a young wizard-in-training named Billie. This pushes Justin to tap back into his magic skills.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will be available on Disney+ starting October 30, 2024.
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