Selena Gomez returned to her Disney Channel roots in a new trailer for the upcoming series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
The Only Murders in the Building star, 32, appeared in the behind-the-scenes look at the Disney Channel series shared on Friday, August 9. The sequel series continues to follow the Russo family, focusing on original series star David Henrie as he attempts to navigate a world where magic exists in secret.
Gomez guest stars in the first episode of the series, dropping the new series’ protagonist, a young wizard named Billie, off with her brother in the hopes that he can keep her safe and train her. Billie, played by newcomer Janice LeAnn Brown, shakes up the family dynamic, as Henrie’s Justin has decided to raise his children without any knowledge of the magical world.
“When Justin’s sister Alex (Gomez) brings Billie to his home seeking help, Justin realizes he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities — and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World,” the official synopsis reads.
Gomez and Henrie both serve as executive producers of the new series. In the clip, the pair walk the set of the new series and hug while Gomez, in voiceover, says, “This is where it all started. We’re home.”
In a snippet from the pilot, Gomez explains how Billie is just like her character, Alex.
“Billie is rebellious and stubborn, sarcastic,” Alex tells her brother, which leads him to quip “sounds like someone else I know.”
Selena Gomez Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
The original Wizards ran for four seasons on Disney Channel before wrapping in 2012. Henrie exclusively told Us Weekly in June that the mini-reunion with Gomez on the pilot episode felt like no time had passed at all.
“It was awesome. We didn’t want it to end. It was great,” he said. “She’s so good. She has such a quick wit that’s only gotten stronger.”
Henrie added that fans of the original series will find plenty to love in the new one.
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“We have a couple scenes that I think will choke up the original fan of the original show, and they’re really touching, and they went really well. So, I’m excited for you to see it,” he shared.
Henrie also took the time to praise his new young costars, saying that they helped maintain the playful spirit of the original series.
“This new cast is really, really talented. My goal is [to] recreate the heart of the original show so anyone can watch it and go, ‘This is Wizards. This feels like the themes, the values, the world, the comedy. This is Wizards,’” he said.
