Celebrity
Selena Gomez Stuns in Red at Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Premiere
Selena Gomez put on a spellbinding display in red at the world premiere of the highly anticipated Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
Gomez, 32, rocked an elegant red off-the-shoulder sequined cocktail dress Monday, October 28, as she and costar David Henrie celebrated the arrival of the new Wizards of Waverly Place spinoff at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.
The actress and producer completed her look with a short bob, a red lip and matching red heels.
Gomez and Henrie, 35, reprise their roles as siblings Alex and Justin Russo from Disney Channel’s hit Wizards of Waverly Place — which originally aired from 2007 to 2012 — in the new series. The stars posed on the red carpet with franchise newcomer Janice LeAnn Brown, who plays Billie, a mischievous young wizard whom Justin has to train.
Henrie and Brown lead the cast of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, while Gomez will make occasional guest appearances as Alex Russo. Gomez and Henrie are also executive producers of the sequel series.
Brown, 13, recently told Us Weekly that not only did Gomez play a mentor figure to her character Billie, but the former child star was also a mentor on set.
“I think the biggest thing was not to let anyone block my sunlight and to just stay true to myself,” Brown said. “And it doesn’t really matter what other people are saying about me because, at the end of the day, all that matters is what I’m saying to myself when I look inside the mirror and making sure that I’m saying positive things about myself, rather than negative.”
Mimi Gianopulos, who plays Justin’s wife, Giada, admitted that she was “nervous” to work alongside Gomez, but her attitude quickly changed. “She was the most relatable, wonderful, kind, lovely [person],” she told Us, noting that it was “so sweet” to see Gomez and Henrie working together 12 years after the original series concluded.
“I’m coming into this as a new person and I felt so welcomed and so, just truly brought into the family,” Gianopulos, 35, gushed. “They really set a tone of kindness and of joy on set. It’s such a blast.”
Alkaio Thiele, who plays Justin and Giada’s eldest son, Roman, told Us Gomez was a “valuable resource” on set, stating, “She’s gone through this, she knows what it’s like, and she and David are both working to make this the best experience possible because they did this before.”
In August, Gomez shared her excitement for the project, telling Variety, “It felt like I was home again.” She added, “I’m so happy I got to bring this childhood gift to a new generation.”
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premieres on Disney Channel Tuesday, October 29, at 8 p.m. ET.