Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicWizards of Waverly Place is the newest reboot series to hit Disney+, and fans of the original series are no doubt on pins and needles waiting for the first episodes to air. However, Justin, Alex, and Max aren’t the only Disney Channel originals to get the reboot/sequel treatment.
Per Deadline, the essential plot for the new series reads as follows.
It picks up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife and two sons. But he gets a surprise 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.
It sounds like a thrill, especially knowing that David Henrie and Selena Gomez are on board in their original roles, but Disney also might be falling into a pattern seen with its other returns to nostalgic TV properties.
Wizards of Waverly Place: Yet Another Formulaic Disney Channel Reboot
Whether subscribers know it or not, Disney has subtly been building an episodic empire of rebooted Disney Channel shows, and fans have been too distracted to notice. Wizards of Waverly Place is just one name on the mouse’s nostalgic game plan.
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The original series served as a launchpad for stars like Selena Gomez, and it was right up there with shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as far as memorability and iconography are concerned. However, the concept is nothing new, and that comes with a bit of risk even for a beloved series like Wizards of Waverly Place.
The words “Disney remake” come with a bit of a negative stigma, as demonstrated by some of the live-action adaptations of the studio’s classic films. However, rebooted Disney Channel shows come with a familiar and repetitive pattern that Disney can’t seem to shake.
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As seen in Girl Meets World and Raven’s Home, Disney is falling back on the formula in which original characters from their respective shows grow up, have families, and fall in to the familiar sitcom-style routines that made them famous reworked for a modern audience. Rinse, repeat, and roll the credits.
Granted, that might sound highly critical given the fact that the series hasn’t even been released yet, but the pattern still stands. That said, we can’t make a full judgement of the show until its first episode drops onto the company’s magical streaming platform.
Will Wizards of Waverly Place break the magical mold? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!