A pilot for a “Wizards of Waverly Place” sequel series has been ordered at Disney Channel, Variety has confirmed.
Original series star David Henrie will star in and executive produce the potential series, with original star Selena Gomez set to guest star in the pilot and executive produce. Henrie will reprise the role of Justin Russo, while Gomez will once again play Alex Russo. Additional cast for the pilot includes Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, and Mimi Gianopulos. Disney Branded Television is behind the series.
The official description of the series says that 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 (Gianopulos) and two sons (one of whom will be played by Thiele). But he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard (Brown) in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.”
Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas are writing and executive producing the pilot, with the duo having previously co-created the Disney sequel series “Raven’s Home.” Along with them, Gomez, and Henrie, Gary Marsh and Andy Fickman also executive produce, with Fickman directing the pilot.
The original “Wizards of Waverly Place” was one of the most popular Disney Channel shows of its time. It aired for four seasons between 2007 and 2012, during which time Disney also produced the Disney Channel original movie “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie.”
Gomez is repped by Lighthouse Management + Media, WME, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Henrie is repped by Untitled. Brown is repped by Eris Talent Agency and MB Talent & Entertainment Management. Thiele is repped by DDO Artists Agency. Gianopulos is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Selena Gomez Rocks a WEDDING DRESS in New Photos
Congratulations are in order for Selena Gomez, but not in the way you think.
In behind-the-scenes snapshots taken from the Only Murders in the Building season three set, the actress is a vision in white, donning a wedding ballgown and lace veil. Selena, 30, is seen arm-in-arm with fellow star Martin Short, who dons a black tuxedo.
So, will there be weddings in the building? It’s not exactly clear, but co-star Steve Martin, who uploaded the photos to his Twitter account March 21, captioned the image, “Guess what just happened!”
Steve also shared a photo of himself next to the blushing bride, writing, “Turns out this happened, too.”
Selena, too, posted images of herself backstage wearing the dress and Dr. Martens boots, captioning her Instagram post, “I have no caption. Just a regular day at work.”
This latest twist is just one of the big surprises that the Only Murders crew has unveiled in recent months. Though details on the plot have remained top secret, the cast—which has previously featured Amy Schumer and Cara Delevingne—is welcoming a few big co-stars, including Meryl Streep.
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Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
Selena Gomez Documentary ‘My Mind and Me’ to Open AFI Fest
The Apple Original film, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, will open the 36th edition of the festival in Los Angeles on Nov. 2. The singer, actress and producer just announced the project last week on social media by revealing she had a film coming in partnership with Apple TV+.
It comes from director Alek Keshishian, who previously directed the iconic documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare and who also happens to be the brother of Gomez’s manager, Aleen Keshishian. My Mind and Me is said to chronicle Gomez’s “journey from the heights of unimaginable superstardom through the lows of a very personal crisis and back again.”
In a statement, Keshishian said that he had “no interest” in making a traditional pop doc, adding, “I wanted to show something more authentic and Selena did, too. She has a raw vulnerability that captured me. I had no idea then that it would become a six-year labor of love.”
Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO, called My Mind and Me “a film as profoundly powerful as it is personal.” He added: “Selena is a global force in art and entertainment, and we are honored to partner with her, Alek and Apple to shine a light upon her journey in this beautifully crafted celebration of optimism, vulnerability and hopefulness.”
The Apple Original Film doc is produced by Interscope Films and Lighthouse Management & Media.
As previously announced, Steven Spielberg’s personal film, The Fabelmans, will close AFI Fest at TCL Chinese Theater on Nov. 6. The 36th AFI Fest runs Nov. 2-6.
Selena Gomez And 20th Century Developing ‘Working Girl’ Reboot
20th Century is looking to revive one of its more popular IPs with the help of one of industry’s biggest stars. Sources tell Deadline that the studio is developing a reboot of the 1980s classic Working Girl, with Selena Gomez in final negotiations to produce. Ilana Pena is adapting the script, and the film would likely premiere on Hulu.
Exact plot details for this pic are unknown but the 1988 pic starred Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and Joan Cusack and revolves around an ambitious secretary (Griffith) who takes on her boss’ identity while the latter is laid up with a broken leg. The film was not only one of that year’s breakout hits bringing in more than $100 million at the domestic box office, but it also was critically hailed and earned six Oscar nominations including a Best Picture nom, Best Actress nomination for Griffith and Supporting noms for Cusack and Weaver.
Like so many studios who have been raiding their library looking to revive hit films from ’80s and ’90s following the success of Top Gun: Maverick, 20th Century sees this as a timely property and views Gomez as the perfect partner on the project.
Gomez remains busy on the acting and producing fronts as she is an exec producer and star of the Hulu comedy Only Murders in the Building, which is coming off a number of Emmy noms including Best Comedy following its first season and is currently in the middle of its second season. She is also starring and producing the HBO Max reality series Selena + Chef. She is repped by WME, Lighthouse Management & Media, and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett and Kole.
Starting out in the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writers room, Peña most recently created the hit Disney+ series Diary of a Future President. She not only exec produced the show but was the showrunner as well directed the penultimate episode. On the feature side she is also writing My Daughter’s Quinceañera for Universal and Eva Longoria. She also has an overall deal at CBS Productions. She is repped by Kaplan/Perrone and Ken Richman and Bryan Swatt.
Despite Emmys Snub for Acting, Selena Gomez Still Lands in the History Books for ‘Only Murders in the Building
We didn’t have to lose Selena to love Selena, but that’s the hand the Emmys dealt.
Although Selena Gomez, the influential superstar of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” was unfortunately omitted from the lead actress in a comedy category, the 29-year-old executive producer is included among the team for outstanding comedy series, alongside her co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Her inclusion in the category marks only the second time a Latina has ever been among the producing nominees for comedy series in the 74-year Emmy history. The first was Salma Hayek for Fox’s “Ugly Betty” back in 2007. In addition, only one Latina woman has won as a producer in any of the top series categories in history (Celia D. Costas for “Angels in America” in 2004).
Her omission in the acting race is incredibly disheartening, considering only two Latinas have made the lineup – Rita Moreno, for “9 to 5” in 1983 and America Ferrera, who won for “Ugly Betty” in 2007 and was nominated once more in the following year. However, Gomez’s work in the second season will hopefully carry into discussions for the 2023 Emmys season.
Proudly identifying as a third-generation American-Mexican (her father is Mexican and her paternal grandparents were born in Monterrey), Gomez’s inclusion is fresh air for Latin representation in Hollywood. In “Only Murders in the Building,” which pulled in a hefty nomination haul, she plays Mabel Mora, a young resident of a prestigious Upper West Side building, the Arconia. After one of the residents, Tim Kono, is murdered, she teams up with Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), a semi-retired actor, and Charles Putnam (Martin Short), a financially struggling Broadway director, and creates a podcast to assist in solving the crime.
For their hilarious performances, both Martin and Short also received dual nominations for lead actor in a comedy and outstanding comedy series.
The series lands smack in one of the most competitive comedy series races in recent years. Still, with the second season currently airing weekly, it could duplicate the same successful playbook used by Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” which won at last year’s Emmys ceremony.
In addition to Gomez, Martin and Short, the series is produced by Dan Fogelman, Jess Rosenthal, Jamie Babbit and John Hoffman. The second season of “Only Murders in the Building” is currently releasing new episodes on Hulu.
Selena Gomez Receives Her First Grammy Nomination
Selena Gomez is officially a Grammy nominee. The multi-hyphenate singer received a nod for Best Latin Pop Album for her Spanish-language EP, Revelación, which she released in March. She’s up against big competition in the category, nominated alongside Pablo Alborán (Vértigo), Paula Arenas (Mis Amores), Ricardo Arjona (Hecho a la Antigua), Camilo (Mis Manos), and Alex Cuba (Mendó).
Gomez was previously nominated for a Latin Grammy for the Revelación track “De Una Vez” in the Short Form Music Video category.
While speaking to ELLE for the September 2021 issue, Gomez opened up about her music career, saying, “I don’t think I’ll ever quit making music.” She added that she’s not doing it just for the awards: “I’m not saying I want a Grammy. I just feel like I’m doing the best I can, and it’s all about me. Sometimes, that can really get to me.”
Gomez also shared what it was like making Revelación. “It was a challenge,” she said. “I think speaking in Spanish is a lot easier than singing.” But with a bit more time on her hands than usual, Gomez was able to work with a Spanish coach and really nail it. “I made sure that I didn’t look like a fool,” she says. “I focused so hard on making sure that the language I was speaking, and the way I was speak-ing it, was authentic. I wanted it to exude love—to talk about pain, but in a way that was confident. There is a song about girls saying goodbye to things that aren’t good for us.”
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Only Murders in the Building Trailer
Everybody is a suspect. Only Murders in the Building premieres on August 31st, only on Hulu! Starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short.