David Henrie Says Filming ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ With Selena Gomez Felt Like “Not A Day Had Passed”

All of america Disney Channel kids who grew up successful nan early to mid-aughts retrieve wherever we were erstwhile David Henrie announced that he and Selena Gomez would beryllium partnering up for a Wizards of Waverly Place sequel bid much than a decade aft nan original sitcom ended. As portion of nan network’s heyday, Wizards of Waverly Place followed nan 3 Russo siblings arsenic they navigated their teenage years while simultaneously being wizards successful training. While they’re each grown up now, it’s clear that nan chemistry betwixt onscreen siblings Henrie and Gomez is ever-present. And pinch a caller group of kids added to nan mix, there’s plentifulness of room for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place to scope younger generations each while, arsenic Henrie put it, giving a “warm hug” to each of america OG fans.

The caller series, which premieres connected Disney Channel coming earlier heading to Disney+ tomorrow, follows a grown-up Justin (Henrie) arsenic he lives a normal life successful Staten Island pinch his woman and 2 sons. However, his concealed past of being a wizard is yet outed erstwhile his troublemaking sister Alex (Gomez) shows up astatine his location and asks him to return a young powerful wizard named Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) nether his wing.

The first section is chock-full of callbacks to nan original series, for illustration erstwhile they subtly uncover that nan youngest Russo related Max (Jake T. Austin) became a millionaire franchising nan family sandwich shop, aliases erstwhile Justin and Alex measurement backmost into nan family’s iconic lair for nan first time.

“Everything you could dream for, we felt,” Henrie said of nan “magical” moment, revealing that accumulation moreover utilized nan “real couches” from nan original set. “You could astir apt find Selena and I’s initials connected location somewhere, carved into something.”

Brown, for her part, gets to activity pinch 2 of Disney Channel’s astir memorable stars. The young character lovingly admitted that Henrie was “kind of for illustration a dad” to her, while she compared Gomez to a “really cool aunt” aliases a “big sister.”

“I conscionable consciousness truthful very blessed to beryllium successful this position that I americium successful and conscionable person to springiness nan Lord his flowers each azygous time because I’m conscionable like, ‘Wow. I’m moving pinch Selena Gomez and David Henrie. This is cray cray,'” Brown said.

We caught up pinch Henrie and Brown via Zoom, wherever they dished connected each things Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Check retired nan afloat question and reply below.

DECIDER: David, I want to commencement pinch you. As personification who was 7 erstwhile nan original Wizards came out, location were truthful galore moments successful nan reboot that gave maine chills, peculiarly erstwhile you and Selena stepped backmost into nan lair for nan first time. What was it for illustration for you 2 to movie that scene?

DAVID HENRIE: Everything you could dream for, we felt. Getting to spell backmost connected a group that we had spent truthful overmuch clip successful and had truthful galore memories successful was crazy. We utilized to return naps connected those couches, and those are nan existent couches. They recovered those couches sitting successful a storage location and brought them back, dusted them off. Those are nan existent things. You could astir apt find Selena and I’s initials connected location somewhere, carved into something. It was crazy.

We would beryllium location and watch each our awesome impermanent stars from nan original show locomotion by, for illustration The Rock and Cindy Crawford and Shakira and each of these people. We person truthful galore memories there. Yes, it was perfectly magical, and it was awesome to get to reprise our characters and enactment again. Honestly, it was for illustration not a time had passed. We’re conscionable older now, but it felt for illustration we’ve been doing nan show ever since, like, location was nary break. 

Photo: Disney

That’s what it seemed for illustration watching it. It felt for illustration your characters didn’t skip a beat, and they were nan aforesaid characters I retrieve increasing up with.

DAVID: That intends a lot. Thank you. The extremity for Selena and I some was really to springiness a lukewarm hug to nan original show, but hopefully create specified a powerful emotion that nan original instrumentality watching it will want to recreate nan acquisition they mightiness person had pinch their parents watching nan original show and induce a young personification in. Maybe induce their kid they’re having now. I person 3 kids. A batch of millennials that are having kids now – induce their kid in, aliases a niece and nephew, aliases a cousin, aliases personification they’re babysitting. I dream nan original instrumentality will consciousness that emotion and beryllium like, “You cognize what? I want to stock this pinch a younger personification for illustration I had erstwhile I was a kid.”

Janice, I’m truthful excited for you to beryllium successful this reboot. Would you opportunity that Billie is simply a spot of an Alex 2.0? And really overmuch inspiration did you tie from that character?

JANICE LEANN BROWN: I drew successful a small bit. I will opportunity Billie decidedly does person immoderate similarities to Alex. But astatine nan aforesaid time, she’s her ain person. She’s Billie, you cognize what I mean? Of course, she does person similarities to Alex. I deliberation Alex sees herself successful Billie a lot. I deliberation she dropped Billie disconnected to Justin to benignant of tease him a spot because it’s for illustration he has to spell done it again, a caller generation, a caller era of it all. I did return a small spot of inspiration from it, but I think, successful a way, I  conscionable benignant of acted really I thought Billie would act.

David, you person teased a batch of cameos from David DeLuise to Maria, who played your on-screen parents, and now Greg Sulkin. Was location anyone you were astir excited to reunite with? And is location anyone who hasn’t travel backmost yet that you would for illustration to activity pinch again?

DAVID: At immoderate point, I would really for illustration everyone to travel back. Anyone who has readiness successful their schedule, we would emotion to get them back. The champion measurement to do it is to make it merge seamlessly successful nan story. So not conscionable an obligatory activity from personification doing a cameo, but successful a measurement that feels really meaningful. Selena, successful nan first episode, that’s specified an important portion of nan story. It each worked truthful organically and helped motorboat nan series. We dream each nan characters who travel backmost will play akin roles successful nan show successful position of contributing to nan communicative and not conscionable servicing fans, though we cognize we request to work fans, and that’s a really important point to do. But servicing them successful a meaningful measurement is nan astir important thing, because group consciousness if you’re being disingenuous. 

Photo: Disney

Janice, you get to activity pinch immoderate of Disney Channel’s astir iconic stars. What was your favourite portion astir getting to activity pinch David and Selena some on-screen and off-screen arsenic executive producers?

JANICE: It was very nosy because they benignant of for illustration – especially, David, he’s benignant of for illustration a dada to maine successful a way. With Selena, she’s for illustration a really cool aunt. No digs astatine you, nary digs astatine you. Or, like, a large sister successful a way. I deliberation it’s awesome I person them successful my colony arsenic good because they’re very experienced. With each nan advice, it’s conscionable a batch of contented that I tin return retired of it that I tin [be] very useful successful my career. I conscionable consciousness truthful very blessed to beryllium successful this position that I americium successful and conscionable person to springiness nan Lord his flowers each azygous time because I’m conscionable like, “Wow. I’m moving pinch Selena Gomez and David Henrie. This is cray cray.”

And you guys each person specified awesome chemistry, too, connected nan show. Was it for illustration that correct disconnected nan bat for you guys? 

DAVID: Yeah, and it’s important. One of nan things that I return very earnestly is conscionable trying to create a bully ambiance and civilization truthful everyone feels safe and supported. That way, they tin person chemistry. You’re allowed to make mistakes. They’re encouraged, successful fact. If you make mistakes, you know, neglect quickly. We emotion that. Do it. Do it speedy and do it large because past it intends you’re trying things, which intends you’re comfortable. So we invited each of that. No 1 is defined by their mistakes connected set. So it’s been good. It’s been really good. And I deliberation it’s moving retired well. I’m excited for everyone to spot it. 

Photo: Disney

Question for some of you: what was your favourite section to movie and why? 

DAVID: There’s been immoderate meaningful ones. I peculiarly emotion nan ones wherever you and I  person a bully father-daughter moment, a bully heartfelt moment. Part of what made nan original show typical was we went location pinch heartfelt moments, wherever I deliberation different kid shows mightiness person backed off, aliases not dove truthful heavy into nan bosom aliases nan accuracy aliases nan meaning. We really went location astatine times. We went deep. And we’ve been doing that connected this show. I’m excited for fans to spot those episodes. It’s successful nan first episode, it’s successful nan 2nd episode. It’s successful tons of them each throughout. I’m excited for them to spot those moments because I deliberation it is simply a callback to what we did nicely successful nan first show. 

JANICE: I wholly work together pinch him. It conscionable feels ace safe and everything. Man, each section that we filmed. I consciousness for illustration I don’t really person a favorite. All of them are very meaningful to maine truthful he beautiful overmuch said everything.

This question and reply has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

The first 2 episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will premiere connected Tuesday, Oct. 29 astatine 8:00 p.m. E.T. connected Disney Channel. The first 9 episodes will statesman streaming connected Disney+ and Disney Channel On Demand nan adjacent day.