Image Credit: Angelo Kritikos
Wizards of Waverly Place fans will get to reconnect with the Russo family tonight when the Disney Channel airs The Wizards Return: Alex vs Alex (at 8 p.m. ET/PT). And Jake T. Austin, who played Max Russo for five years, hopes the reunion movie will be just what everyone wanted.
“We get to showcase everything we’ve been working so hard for in the last couple months. We get to bring closure to the fans,” says Austin, 18. Last year’s Wizards series finale attracted 11.3 million total viewers, making it the number one cable kids’ telecast of all time.
Tonight’s one-hour special will follow Selena Gomez’s Alex and the rest of the Russo family as they visit long-lost relatives in Tuscany. A spell goes wrong and splits Alex in two, resulting in an Evil Alex who wants to take over the world — and a Good Alex who must stop Evil Alex at any cost.
“The Russos are put in a position where they’re forced to save Alex without using magic. You get to see a different side of the family [with the relatives]. And also you get to step outside of New York for a change,” says Austin, who had no trouble getting back into the mindset of goofy little brother Max. “Falling into those shoes came so naturally to me. Playing the character for five years really helped me see things from his perspective.”
