Disney Channel Begins Production on Wizards of Waverly Place

BURBANK, March 5: Production
has begun this week on Wizards of Waverly Place, a new Disney Channel original series about three siblings who have
magical powers, for an initial
premiere in the U.S. this fall, and later on Disney Channels around the world.

Produced by It's A Laugh
Production in association with Disney Channel, the
series is centered around a multicultural family named the Russos that has
three squabbling siblings with magical powers and are wizards in training. Fred
Savage (Disney Channel's Phil of the Future)
is set to direct the first two episodes. Todd J. Greenwald, the creator of the
series and a writer on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, and Peter Murrieta (Greetings from Tucson, Hope & Faith) will be executive producers.

Gary Marsh, the president of
entertainment at Disney Channel Worldwide, commented: "Ask any
kid—what's their one wish? To have magical powers. So we decided that if
we combined the elements of wizardry alongside the daily antics of three
teenagers living under the same roof with their multicultural parents, we'd
have a backdrop for a great series.”