Twelve years after the finale of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” marked the newest reboot of an iconic childhood series with its release of Season 1, Part 1 at the end of October.
The original series, which aired from 2007 to 2012, followed the Russo family of wizards. The father taught magic to his three children, Alex (Selena Gomez), her older brother Justin (David Henrie) and younger brother Max (Jake T. Austin) to prepare them for the wizard competition to determine who would become the family wizard.
“Wizards of Waverly Place” concluded with Alex emerging as the winner of the competition and becoming the sole bearer of magical powers. At the same time, Justin was able to retain his abilities by becoming headmaster of WizTech, a wizard school. Max loses his powers but takes over the family’s sandwich shop.
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” picks up years after the series ends, with Alex visiting Justin on his birthday. The new series follows Justin, now married to a mortal woman, Giada (Mimi Gianopulos), and the father of two children who have no idea about his magical past. Justin lived a magic-free life ever since being fired as headmaster of WizTech. Justin marrying a mortal woman is a nod to the original show where the father gave up his powers to marry his mortal wife.
Alex, now part of the Tribunal in the Wizard World, asks Justin to come out of retirement to tutor wizard-in-training, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), who is at the center of a prophecy to save the world. Alex believes Justin is the only one who can help Billie control her powers after she was expelled from multiple schools. Justin agrees and welcomes Billie to their family. Adding Billie as a foster sister to Justin’s two sons, Roman (Alkaioi Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko), recreates the dynamic of the original show with a studious brother, rebellious sister and goofy brother.
Other familiar elements from the original show make an appearance, including the classic lair rebuilt in Justin’s home, found family and the bubbly archetype of mortal best friend. The nostalgic theme song is sung by the female lead, Brown, with backing vocals from Gomez, who sang the original theme song.
While the reboot shares many similarities with the original, there are noticeable differences. The kids are younger than the original, with only one possessing magical powers, marking a significant shift from the original series where three of them had powers. Some original fans are disappointed with Gomez reprising her iconic role for only the pilot episode. However, Gomez plays a role in the background being an executive producer.
It remains to be seen how this reboot will compare to other recent reboots of shows like “Zoey 101,” “iCarly” and “That’s So Raven.” Reboots like “iCarly” and “Zoey 102” catered to the original fan base bringing back all the nostalgic elements. However, “Raven’s Home” and now “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” target a new younger generation. “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” introduces a new group of fans to the iconic magic of the Russo family while also keeping nostalgic elements alive for those who watched the original.
With original characters making cameo appearances, it is predicted that others will return in future episodes. Season 1, Part 2 is scheduled for release in 2025, and will continue following the Russo family as the prophecy surrounding Billie unfolds.
