Selena Gomez Credits ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ with Her Present-Day Success

After over a decade away, the actress is returning to Disney for a reboot of the popular series.

Selena Gomez / Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The moment we’ve all (or most of us, anyway) have been waiting for is finally here. Wizards of Waverly Place has officially gotten a sequel spinoff.

Earlier this year, Disney announced that they would be bringing the popular 2000s show back in the form of a sequel titled Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Naturally, the news was met with a lot of anticipation—and some questions, too. But one important detail was clear from the start: the new series would feature original cast members Selena Gomez and David Henrie as Alex Russo and Justin Russo, respectively.

It only became clear in September, though, that the series was slated to kick off right around this Halloween. And on Oct. 29, the first two episodes of the sequel show officially aired on Disney Channel.

To celebrate the momentous moment, Gomez herself attended a premiere on Oct. 28, where she touched on the significance of the original series—and of the reboot, too. For the Only Murders in the Building star, the sequel gives a whole new audience the opportunity to experience the Wizards of Waverly Place magic for the first time. “It’s the best feeling in the whole world to be able to bring this back for you and to all the people who have never seen it before,” she told People at the premiere.

David Henrie and Selena Gomez / Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Where her own relationship with the original show is concerned, the 32-year-old couldn’t have been more effusive in her praise. Not only was the Disney show an incredible career opportunity for a young Gomez, but it was—according to her—the foundation of her current success. “This is what gave me everything that I have today,” she remarked, “and I’ll never forget that this is where I started.”

For the award-winning actress, slipping back into the character of Alex Russo wasn’t all that difficult. Sure, it’s been over ten years since the original series ended, but Gomez found it easy to return to her former character all the same. “I personally think we kind of picked up where we left off and it shows a very established Justin and also a very established Alex and you’re still curious about what they’re going through, but it kind of felt like a rhythm we got back into,” she said.

As of Oct. 30, the first nine episodes are available to stream on Disney+ and Disney Channel On Demand. TV Line reported that the season would consist of 21 episodes, though we don't have a release date for the following episodes yet.