Disney fans want to know: Is Jake T. Austin returning for the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot?
Disney channel fans from the early 2000s were thrilled to hear the news that a sequel to the hit show that launched Selena Gomez’s career is in the works.
So far, four of the show’s original stars have been confirmed to be part of the new series, with one of the beloved Russo brothers signing on as the lead.
Which Russo brother? Let’s dive in!
Selena Gomez & David Henrie Reuniting for ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Sequel
When the new was announced on January 18th, the big headline wasn’t just that the beloved show was getting a reboot, but that 2 out of the 3 Russo siblings would be returning.
Selena Gomez and her small screen sibling David Henrie are both signed on to return. They’re both also executive producers on the project.
But don’t get too excited just yet: for now, Selena is only signed on to do the pilot of the show. It’s a bummer, but seeing as she’s producing, the door looks wide open for her to return, if she schedule allows.
Is Jake T. Austin Returning For Reboot ? What about Jennifer Stone?
The initial announcement for the show did not hint at the return of any of the other original cast members.
This include Jake T. Austin, who played the youngest Russo sibling, Max. It also include Jennifer Stone, who played Selena’s BFF Harper, or the Russo parents, played by Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise.
The latter, along with Stone, have been hosting a podcast since the start of 2023 called Wizards of Waverly Pod , where they discuss the legacy of the show.
Shortly after announcing the show, David posted on social media that they “definitely plan on bringing back the original cast for the series order.”
Almost two weeks after the news, Selena and David shared a photo with their Disney parents, who already made it back to set.
Fans immediately were concerned when Jake, the last member of the fam, was missing.
But fear not! Jake is on his way to show! He’s confirmed it himself!
After the family photo went viral and fans flooded him wit messages, Jake took to Instagram to squash fears.
“Looking forward to getting together with my wizard family,” he captioned the photo on his insta stories.
I think it’s safe to say that if you have high hopes for his return, you can keep them up!
‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Reboot: What It’s About?
The show follows David Henrie’s character, Justin Russo.
According to show summary via Deadline, the show picks up after Justin has given up his magical powers in favor of a normal, human life with his wife and two sons. That simple life is turned upside when “a powerful young wizard in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.”
This powerful young wizard named Billie, will be played by Janice LeAnn Brown. Disney Channel fans will know her from Disney’s Just Roll with It.
Alkaio Thiele will play Roman Russo, Justin’s oldest son, and Mimi Gianopulos will play Justin’s wife, Giada.
Third Times The Charm?
Here’s the interesting thing: this is not the first time Disney has rebooted one of the beloved shows from the 90’s/2000’s.
In fact, this is the House of Mouse’s THIRD time trying the model out.
The first outing – a reboot of Lizzie McQuire show – ended on the cutting room floor. Why? The show portrayed Lizzie in a very adult light.
We’re talking sex with Ethan Craft, Gordo getting a girl pregnant before marriage – lots of stuff that doesn’t fit the G-rated mold of the predecessor.
Ultimately, the show was canned without ever airing. (Hey, we can always dream the pilot shows up SOMEWHERE, right?)
Given the fears of going too mature was against the brand, Disney took a different approach when rebooting arguably the best Disney Channel show of all time, That’s So Raven.
Raven’s Home saw Ms. Baxter back in action as a single mom with a broad of kids with a tone and setting very similar to the original.
That show worked, so much so that it is the producers of Raven’s Home are joining up with Selena and David to steer this reboot.
So, when does Hannah Montana make an appearance, huh?
Is Jake T. Austin Returning in ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Reboot? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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