When Disney's hit kids series Wizards of Waverly Place concluded in 2010, most of its audience likely thought that they'd never visit this franchise again, since that's what happens when you grow up. But than a decade later, it's back.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a sequel series to the original magical hit, and while most of the first show's original audience is too old to be watching children's TV, it still turns out there's a market for it -- in fact, it's the Disney Channel's biggest streaming hit.
When it premiered on Oct. 27, 2024, the show reached 3.2 million viewers globally in its first 12 days, according to the Walt Disney Company. This isn't just an impressive number for a reboot, but it's also the biggest debut for any Disney Channel show on Disney Plus.
The show has successfully dived into the children's market, which was always the plan despite being a sequel to a series that teens and even some adults grew up watching. In fact, data shared by Deadline reveals that it performed best with kids between 6 and 11 years old, along with adults between 18 and 24 -- which was to be expected, given the power of nostalgia.
Disney Branded Television spokesperson Ayo Davis shared a statement regarding the success shared by Deadline, praising the creative team for bringing this franchise back to screens.
"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has reintroduced the magic of the Russo family to a new generation, resonating with audiences across platforms. Its standout debut reflects the enduring appeal and relevance of this beloved franchise - and the creativity and talent driving this new chapter."
The Disney Channel only broadcast the first episode of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on premiere day, however, Disney Plus shared with fans eight episodes to binge through. New episodes will continue to be released on the streaming platform weekly, so new Wizards fans still have plenty to look forward to.
Many of the shows that kids were watching more than a decade ago have received recent reboots to varying degrees of success. Most notably, iCarly received a sequel from Paramount in 2021, which has already been canceled, so hopefully this Disney series doesn't see the same treatment.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place brings back Justin Russo to lead the cast this time around, now grown up and living a life with his new family away from magic. Of course, this doesn't last long, and he is thrown back into the magical world when his sister Alex arrives on his doorstep with Billie seeking help. For those who watched the original series this sequel will be plenty familiar, but it's separated enough that kids won't need to have seen the original to get a grasp on what's going on.
It remains to be seen whether or not this new kids' show can keep up its momentum as season one continues, and potentially beyond, but one thing that's for sure is that it's off to the very best start possible.