With a wave of a magic wand, the wizards are back: Disney Channel’s “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” the revival of the Emmy-winning series “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007–2012), premieres Oct. 29, with episodes streaming the next day on Disney+. And while the Russo family knows how to cast a spell on viewers, do you have what it takes to make magic happen in the audition room? Our in-depth guide explores all you need to know about landing a role on this reboot, including little-known details about the casting process and acting advice from the series’ biggest stars.
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- What is “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” about?
- Who’s in the cast of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”?
- Who are the casting directors for “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”?
- How does the casting process work for “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”?
- When does filming for “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” Season 2 start?
- Where can you find “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” casting calls and auditions?
- What are the best audition tips for landing a role on “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”?
“Wizards of Waverly Place” saw Justin Russo (David Henrie) assume the headmaster role at the WizTech School of Magic on its series finale. But in the years since, Justin has seemingly become a mortal, living his days like a regular Joe alongside his wife and two sons—until his sister, Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), comes knocking on his door. When Alex shows up with a wizard-in-training named Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), Justin realizes he must reconnect with his magical roots if he’s to mentor his new student and protect the future of the wizarding world in the process.
The original “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which ran for 106 episodes, starred:
- Selena Gomez as Alex Russo
- David Henrie as Justin Russo
- Jake T. Austin as Max Russo
- Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle
- Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo
- David DeLuise as Jerry Russo
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” will see Gomez return to the role of Alex as a guest star, but the show itself will focus on Henrie’s Justin and his family: wife Giada (Mimi Gianopulos) and sons Milo (Max Matenko) and Roman (Alkaio Thiele). The reboot also welcomes Brown as Billie and Taylor Cora as Winter, Billie’s best friend.
While Allyson Bosch (“Puppy Dog Pals”), Ruth Lambert (“Lilo & Stitch”), and Robert McGee (“Rick and Morty”) cast the original series, Greg Rencken (“High Potential”) and Sara Vincenti (“iCarly”) joined the reboot, casting extras for the new series.
Many casual fans might not realize that the original “Wizards of Waverly Place” pilot was entirely different from what the show turned out to be. “The Amazing O’Malleys,” as it was called, had cast Matt McCoy (“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”) as the dad, Jerry, and Henrie as his son. (DeLuise and Gomez weren’t yet attached to the project.) But as the series began to evolve, Disney brought in Lambert to recast the existing main characters.
“[I was hired] to replace Matt [McCoy] and to replace David Henrie,” Lambert told DeLuise and Stone on their “Wizards of Waverly Pod” series. “And we were really surprised about that because David was so good in that pilot. And David was always just such a good kid actor and so talented…and, you know, gifted, really, at comedy.”
Luckily, for Henrie, who’s set to lead the reboot, no one else could compare.
Lambert added, “I do also want to say that after having so many people in to recast him… And of course his mother knew, because everyone in town knew we were doing it. And then, when we didn’t [recast] and we were so happy, Robert [McGee] and I were like: ‘Oh, my God, I hope he doesn’t hold it against us.’
“Our first day on set, we went over and introduced ourselves, and [David] was like: ‘Oh, my God, I’m so happy to meet you’—and, you know, big hugs, and…it took all of this, sort of, how bad we felt [away], because we hadn’t wanted to recast him. He was always so good.”
According to Us Weekly, Disney greenlit “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” for a full season in March 2024 and started filming in April. While the first season has wrapped, Disney has not yet revealed if the reboot will return for Season 2. But considering “Wizards of Waverly Place” remains one of the Disney Channel’s longest-running original series, we’re confident the new series will cast its own spell on viewers old and new. Check back for updates on the show’s fate!
Currently, there are no open casting calls for “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.” However, now’s a good time to brush up on how to audition for Disney. We also recommend bookmarking our main casting page for Disney auditions, which updates as new opportunities become available.
This roundup of gigs for child actors is also a great way to get noticed when the series does begin casting.
Be different. Henrie has been acting since he was a child, and while much has changed when it comes to self-tapes, his advice for making one remains the same. “Make your tapes as professional as you can, and make them different,” he told Backstage. “Get a decent camera, try to light yourself well…. It’s worth the investment. You can always keep it in your room; you can knock out tons of self-tapes on it. Don’t ever move it; have it hooked up to your computer. You can nail it. And don’t be afraid to be different. Be fun and be funny. I do that stuff for my own auditions, and it stands out.”
Trust yourself. As the son of comedian Dom DeLuise, David DeLuise knows that success in the industry comes from thinking fast and, more importantly, trusting yourself. “You have to trust your instincts and your intuition as to what’s happening,” he told Movie Mom. “I think there’s something about comedy that you can learn, but there is also something…just whether comedy is in you or not. You either have it or you don’t, and I did get a little piece from my dad. There is a little bit of the comedy gene inside of me, so I’m very happy about that. It’s not so much talking about comedy as it is talking about acting and the feelings, so you can do funny and you can do dramatic. It’s all about listening and reacting to what the other person is doing and having a point of view. So it can be a very funny off-the-wall point of view or a dramatic one for that matter.”
Ask for help. Working in the entertainment industry can take its toll, whether you find success or not, so it’s important to know and honor your limits. As an advocate for mental health, Gomez wants people to know that “it’s OK to ask for help,” she told People. “It’s very important to be able to feel comfortable. I wish I had asked [for help] at a younger age,” she said. “Studies suggest that hearing a comforting voice can actually boost our mood in ways that texting can’t, so pick up the phone and call someone you love. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Or call anyone whose sound of their voice would bring you comfort.”
Let it go. Actors often put too much pressure on themselves, but as Henrie told us, there are many other factors at play in casting, so don’t let perfectionism stall your performance. “I would tell [my younger self], ‘You’re not that important; stop caring so much. There’s so much more that goes into getting the role than just your performance. You know what, David? You’re not that important. Just go in there, do your best, and the rest is up to them,’ ” Henrie explained. “I would put so much stress on myself to nail it, to be perfect, to give the best performance ever, and it would exhaust me. I wish I could go back in time and just say, ‘There was so much more than a good performance. There’s so many other things that are out of your control.’ Just act it, and the rest is up to God, honestly.”