Wizards of Waverly Place may have ended its four-season run back in Jan. 2012, but as we saw on the March 14 reunion special — The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex — some things never change. Justin (David Henrie) will always be the Russo family’s golden child, even when he’s not around; Max (Jake T. Austin) will always be delightfully stupid, and Alex’s (Selena Gomez) spells will ALWAYS blow up in her face.

‘The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex’

Tired of being criticized for being inadequate, Alex magically cast out all of her “bad parts” into an evil version of herself on the highly anticipated special. But Evil Alex was trapped in a mirror, so nothing bad could happen, right? Wrong. With a little help from Dominic (Beau Mirchoff) – a charming “friend” of Justin’s from Wiz Tech — Evil Alex was set free.

Evil Alex zipped off to Italy, where the entire Russo clan — minus Justin — was enjoying a nice family reunion, and strategically trapped everyone inside her magic charm bracelet. She even trapped Mason (Gregg Sulkin), who already wasn’t a fan of Dominic, as the well-groomed wizard seemed determined to split him Alex up.

That’s when Good Alex discovered Dominic’s big secret: He’s actually the nephew of Gorog — leader of the Angels of Darkness — and he planned to rid the entire world of mortals! In order to get her family back, Good Alex agreed to power up Dominic’s evil machine, which landed her behind bars. Literally.

A surprisingly judgmental group of giant crystals sentenced Alex to death — way harsh! — for her misdeeds, but just when Alex thought all hope was lost, a wolf’d-out Mason sprung her from her cell.

Are Alex’s Wizard-ing Days Over?

A wild battle between the Alexes ensued in Times Square — not unlike my daily scuffles with the costumed Elmos during my commute to work — but it was no use. The only way for Alex to destroy her evil doppelgänger, along with Dominic’s machine, was to also destroy her powers completely.

And in true Wizards fashion, the entire messy ordeal was neatly taken care of in the final moments. Though defeating Evil Alex wasn’t enough to earn her powers back, her friendship with Harper (Jennifer Stone) was!

The crystals gave her Alex one last chance to be good, and she promised they’d be seeing her again someday soon. (Can you say sequel?)

HollywoodLifers, what did you think of the new Wizards movie? Drop us a comment with your personal review!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More ‘Wizards Return’ coverage on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ‘The Wizards Return’ Video: Alex Creates An Evil Version Of Herself
2. ‘Wizards Return’ Video: Selena Gomez’s Big Fight Scene Revealed
3. Jake T. Austin Talks Transitioning From ‘Wizards’ To ‘Fosters’

The Russos are back! The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex brings the magical TV family together for the first time since Wizards of Waverly Place ended in Jan. 2012, and you’ll be happy to know that very little has changed — including Max’s dangerously low I.Q. Jake T. Austin, who portrays the youngest Russo, stopped by HollywoodLife.com to give us all the behind-the-scenes scoop on the major TV event.

“Max has been trying to be as responsible as he can without his powers,” Jake told me. “He’s steered clear of most trouble, but he dives into some mischief in the special. He has to take responsibility more head-on in saving his sister.”

In addition to the usual mischief we’ve come to expect from the Russo clan, The Wizards Return also features a surprising amount of fighting, mostly from Selena Gomez, who pulled double-duty as an executive producer on the special.

“Selena did a great job, both on-camera and off-camera,” Jake said. “A lot of the stunt work was choreographed, and to make it look natural was not easy. Incorporating magic and comedy and a lot of elements into the show very difficult. But like the series, we were able to pull it off, so hopefully fans are able to get what they want.”

Will There Be More ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Specials In The Future?

And while I had Jake’s ear, of course I had to ask if there could be more Wizards movies in his future. (Spoiler alert: The special has a bit of an open ending.)

“Hopefully we can get another opportunity to work together again,” he said. “This was something I was definitely eager for. I think it was essential for the end of the show.”

Watch my interview with Jake below, and be sure to catch The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex when it premieres March 15 at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Wizards Return coverage on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ‘The Wizards Return’ Video: Alex Creates An Evil Version Of Herself
2. ‘Wizards Return’ Video: Selena Gomez’s Big Fight Scene Revealed
3. Selena Gomez’s ‘Wizards Return’ Trailer Released — Watch

After playing the youngest member of the Russo family for four seasons on Wizards Of Waverly Place, Jake T. Austin is preparing to hang up his wizard hat — again — when Disney Channel airs The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex on March 15. But don’t expect Jake, 18, to poof into thin air for long; he’ll be back on your TV this summer when The Fosters premieres on ABC Family, and he told HollywoodLife.com why he’s so excited about his “amazing” new gig.

“It was an amazing feeling to know I was handpicked by [executive producer Jennifer Lopez] for the show,” he told us Feb. 7 at Teen Vogue and Aeropostale’s celebration of Chloë Grace Moretz‘s Sweet 16 in NYC. “She’s really involved with it. My character is Jesus Foster, one of the kids adopted by a lesbian couple.”

And it sounds like Jake can’t wait to get back to work.

“For me, it’s just about being on a call sheet, a new environment and a new set,” Jake continued. “I haven’t been in the business for long — not longer than 9 years — which is a lot for some, but I still have a lot of time ahead of me.”

What’s ‘The Fosters’ All About?

The Fosters is one of two new dramas premiering this summer on ABC Family, along with the appropriately titled Twisted, which tells the story of a 16-year-old kid (Avan Jogia) accused of murdering a girl.

Described by ABC Family as “a one-hour drama about a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids being raised by two moms,” The Fosters stars Meet The Parents‘ Teri Polo and In Treatment‘s Sherri Saum as the mothers.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming Wizards movie below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Jake’s new show, The Fosters! Will you be checking it out this summer?

— Reporting by Courtney Dunn, Written by Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Jake T. Austin on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ABC Family Picks Up New Dramas ‘The Fosters’ & ‘Twisted’
2. Jake T. Austin On The End Of ‘Wizards’: Why I’ll Miss Selena Gomez
3. Jake T. Austin Talks ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Reunion & Selena Gomez

With the Wizards Of Waverly Place reunion movie airing in just a few weeks, fans will have to prepare to say goodbye to the Russo family all over again — something Selena Gomez‘s on-screen little brother, Jake T. Austin, is all-too-familiar with. “Selena was very cool, definitely going to miss her,” Jake told HollywoodLife.com on Feb. 7 at Teen Vogue and Aeropostale’s celebration of Chloë Grace Moretz‘s Sweet 16 in NYC.

“I learned a lot from her about the branding and technical sides of the business,” he explained. “I’ll definitely miss Selena.”

At least fans will get one more chance to watch Jake and Selena’s characters in action when The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex premieres March 15 on Disney Channel. The movie serves as a reunion for the cast — the series aired its final episode in Jan. 2012 — as Selena’s character, Alex, must battle an evil version of herself atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“It’s really about Disney just continuing the show,” Jake said. “They really want to keep it going.”

But don’t worry about Jake being out of work after Wizards; he’ll already be back on your TV this summer when his Jennifer Lopez-produced drama, The Fosters, premieres on ABC Family!

HollywoodLifers, do you hope there are more Wizards of Waverly Place movies in Jake and Selena’s future? Drop us a comment and let us know!

— Written by Andy Swift, Reporting by Courtney Dunn

Follow @AndySwift

More from Jake T. Austin on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ABC Family Picks Up New Dramas ‘The Fosters’ & ‘Twisted’
2. Selena Gomez Is ‘Very Sad’ ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Is Over, Says Co-Star
3. Jake T. Austin Talks ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Reunion & Selena Gomez

We all know how addictive ABC Family dramas can be — they’ve practically got it down to a science at this point — and come summer, you’ll be able to add two more shows to your regimen. The network announced Feb. 6 that The Fosters and Twisted (formerly titled Socio) will both premiere during the summer months, bringing a few familiar faces back into your life.

Read on for more details about ABC Family’s latest creations:

‘The Fosters’

Wizards of Waverly Place‘s Jake T. Austin stars on The Fosters, “a one-hour drama about a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids being raised by two moms.” Playing his moms are Meet The Parents‘ Teri Polo and In Treatment‘s Sherri Saum.

For an added dose of star power, Jennifer Lopez will serve as an executive producer!

‘Twisted’

For those who prefer a darker spin on their dramas, allow me to offer up Twisted, “a one-hour mystery full of twists and turns that is centered on a charismatic 16-year-old with a troubled past who recently reconnected with his two female best friends from childhood. Avan Jogia — formerly of Nickelodeon’s Victorious — stars as the 16-year-old in question, along with The Finder‘s Maddie Hasson and Prom‘s Kylie Bunbury as his two best friends.

As for that “darker spin” I mentioned earlier, it turns out Avan’s character “becomes the prime suspect when a fellow student is surprisingly found dead in her home.”

Like I said, “dark.”

HollywoodLifers, will you be making room for The Fosters and Twisted in your schedule this summer? Drop us a comment and let us know!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

It’s been almost a year since the last season of Wizards of Waverly Place aired, but, not to worry, the cast will be back in action for their two-part reunion special in 2013! Jake T. Austin teased us about what to expect and how he will handle being back with his on-screen sister Selena Gomez.

Being that fans were left with questions, Jake tells us that the hour-long special will “close the show out and give fans a resolution to the series.”

Jake says that the reunion special will have a new plot and twists — and even some new characters! Does that mean that our Max (Jake T. Austin) might get a love interest?

“I don’t know,” Jake said with a laugh. “Maybe Disney looked into that.”

Will his co-star Selena Gomez be ordering him around on set since she’s executive producer on the special?

He laughed and said that it would be interesting, but he remained very supportive of her.

“Celebrities are progressing and maneuvering through different parts of the industry. It’s smart for her to do that as a producer,” Jake said. “t’s a lot of work putting together the financing, detailing, production and everything. I’m glad she’s ready to tackle all those responsibilities.”

Like Selena, David Henrie, who plays Jake’s character’s older brother in the series, is moving through the industry. Unfortunately, David won’t be a part of the reunion due to a conflict in his schedule.

“He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do as a professional and what’s going to benefit his career,” Jake said. “For me, I’m going to miss getting to play off him and work with him on camera, but he’s able to work on some projects that bring his talents to life.”

Once filming wraps, Jake, like his cast mates, will be moving on to bigger, more mature projects. We’re looking forward to seeing him play Huckleberry Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

– Reporting by Dory Larrabee, Written by Julianna Spence

More Wizards of Waverly Place:

1. Selena Gomez’s ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Reunion Movie Confirmed
2. Selena Gomez’s On-Screen Brother Speaks On Justin Bieber Relationship
3. Selena Gomez’s ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Series Finale Gets HUGE Ratings

Jake T. Austin played Selena Gomez‘s brother on their successful Disney show for years – and today, their show was nominated for Outstanding Children’s Program — congrats! Read our interview with Jake below!

HL.com: Congrats on your Emmy nomination!

Jake: Thank you, I appreciate it! We’re all really excited. This is the fourth year in a row we’re nominated under the same category, so everyone is just like, “wow, another year!” It’s crazy to look back at all the time we’ve spent together and to see what we’ve accomplished is so incredible, in retrospect. This is a new year and we’re going up against a lot of great shows, so it’s just cool to be even mentioned in the same category.

Have you been in touch with Selena yet?

I haven’t actually talked to the cast to find out everyone’s reaction, because I just found out about this, but everyone’s gonna be, I’m sure, even more excited for this year, just because of where everyone is at in their careers!

Everyone is working and staying busy. We’re always on set, always moving around and changing locations, so it’s hard to really be in the same place at once and really do things like a cast again. We’ll always be in touch; I think we’ll always keep in contact and be a part of each other’s lives.

Selena is in Australia, she might not even know yet!

There is a good chance of that, just because everyone is so busy.

You played Selena’s brother – what’s your relationship like in real life?

Yeah, we’re definitely all really close. I don’t think I could say that I’m closer with one person in particular. It just comes down to how much time we spend with each other. The fact that we’re all different ages, so naturally we’re going to fall into different relationships and some of us are going to get along more than others, but for the most part, everyone is pretty much on the same page. Everyone is still talking but doing their own thing.

How do you feel about her boyfriend Justin Bieber?

He’s a really talented musician!

Do you approve of their relationship?

Haha, I don’t know; I’m not a matchmaker. They’re both over 18, so they can do what they want!

The show is up against Degrassi, Good Luck Charlie, iCarly and Victorious. Are you friendly with any other actors on the other nominated shows?

Everyone has worked together before. We’ve all lived within the same city at one point or another, and between jobs, we all pretty much know of each other, even if we haven’t met each other. The Emmys are a good opportunity for everyone to be in the same place at once. 

Wizards won this award in 2009 – what did that mean to you?

You’re lucky to be nominated, of course. We were all excited to have the opportunity to watch the show live. To be recognized for our work, it’s a huge honor.

***

We wish the cast the best of luck!

–Dory Larrabee

More Wizards: 

1. Selena Gomez Is ‘Very Sad’ ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Is Over, Says Co-Star
2. Selena Gomez Posts Sad Tweets From The Last Day Of Filming On ‘Wizards of Waverly Place!’
3. Selena Gomez’s ‘Wizards Of Waverly’ Nominated For An Emmy Award

Selena Gomez is going to be a great big sister when her mom gives birth and HollywoodLife.com knows why! We spoke to Jake T. Austin who plays Max Russo, her kid brother on Wizards of Waverly Place at an advance screening of New Year’s Eve to benefit the Tribeca Film Institute on Dec. 7 and he told us why he’ll miss Selena so much!

“Everyone is upset the show is over and everyone would love to work on it forever,” he tells us. “But at the same time we’re all looking forward to whatever projects are out there and to see what’s in the future.”

But the best part was when he added: “She’s really nice and down to earth. [She gives me advice] just about life and just sisterly advice.”

The one-hour series finale is on Jan. 6 and we’re totally bummed too. We just think it’s so awesome how Selena is such a great role model!

— Chloe Melas with reporting by Gisele Castro