Selena Gomez, David Henrie to Return for ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Sequel Pilot at Disney
Disney Channel’s hit comedy “Wizards of Waverly Place” is getting a sequel, with a pilot order from Disney Branded Television.
The pilot, which is executive produced by original stars Selena Gomez and David Henrie and writers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (“Raven’s Home”), will see the return of siblings Alex and Justin Russo. Gomez will make a guest star appearance in the pilot, while Henrie will appear as a series regular joined by new cast members Janice LeAnn Brown (“Just Roll with It”), Alkaio Thiele (“Call Me Kat”) and Mimi Gianopulos (“American Princess”).
The pilot will pick up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind for a normal life with his wife and two sons. But when Billie, a young powerful wizard in need of training, shows up at his door, Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World. Brown will play Billie, while Thielie and Gianopulos will play Justin’s oldest son Roman and wife Giada, respectively.
In addition to Gomez, Henrie, Elinoff and Thomas, other executive producers include Gary Marsh (“Descendants: The Rise of Red”) and Andy Fickman (“Race to Witch Mountain”), who is also set to direct.
The original “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which ran from 2007-2012, followed the Russo family, where three siblings navigated the challenges of adolescence while mastering their magical abilities. In addition to Gomez and Henrie, the original cast included Jake T. Austin as Max Russo, David DeLuise as Jerry Russo, Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo and Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle.
The series launched the career of Gomez, who went on to become a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-nominated recording artist and highly sought after actress. She continues to executive produce and star in the critically acclaimed Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building.” She is also set to portray Linda Ronstadt in a biopic directed by David O. Russell.
Gomez is repped by Lighthouse Management + Media, WME and JSSK. Henrie is repped by Untitled. Brown is repped by Eris Talent Agency and MB Talent & Entertainment Management. Thiele is repped by DDO Artists Agency. Gianopulos is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Deadline first reported the news of the pilot.
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