Henrie also shared his thoughts about a possible “Wizards” reunion, including what he believes Justin Russo and the family are up to now.
David Henrie is opening up about reuniting with several of his “Wizards of Waverly Place” co-stars, including Selena Gomez, for his directorial film debut, “This Is the Year.”
In an interview with TooFab, the former Disney star, who wrote, directed and starred in the film, explained how he was able to recapture some of the Russo family “magic” in “This Is the Year,” which was executive produced by Gomez and stars “Wizards” alums, Gregg Sulkin and Jeff Garlin.
David Henrie Says Selena Gomez Is Down for Wizards of Waverly Place Reunion — And There Is Talk
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“It was great because what made ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ a show that resonated with people was the fact that it was all about family. So we brought our family to this new movie and they did a great job,” said Henrie, 30. “It was so fun getting to be on set with them. And they really helped because it was an independent film and the enemy of all independent films is time.”
“So with any of your actors, you need to trust a rapport and they have to be able to deliver quickly,” he continued. “So I was very grateful to Gregg Sulkin and Jeff Garlin for doing the film because they gave us the performance we needed and quick. It was a win-win, just a hoot. The bloopers are great and we’re going to release some soon. They were so funny. It was a great time.”
The “How I Met Your Mother” star also shared his thoughts on a possible “Wizards” reunion, revealing that “everyone in the cast has talked about it.” Henrie, who played Justin Russo, older brother to Alex (Gomez) on the series, told TooFab what he thinks the wizard family would be up to now — and how he could see a reboot playing out.
“What made the show special was like I was saying earlier that we were a family. And so I think for a season, you’d want to start that to give a season a good arc,” he explained. “I think you start them off on the opposite side of that. So start them off completely divided and completely not liking each other. And that’ll give you a place to go in the season. They’ll have to learn to be a family again.”
“We were genuinely a family on the show and when the show ended, we stayed a family,” he added of the series, which ran from 2007 to 2012. “And so that’s why we brought this family [together] again to the movie ‘This Is the Year’ and I think why the film had a magic feel to is because we brought that same family to the film. They did a great job in it. So I was really happy about that.”
Meanwhile, Henrie also opened up about his other full-time job: fatherhood. The actor and his wife, Maria Cahill, share 1-year-old daughter Pia and are expecting a second child, a son.
“My favorite part about being a dad — I mean, there’s so many things,” he told TooFab. “I didn’t expect it to just be such a constant source of joy that the second I see my daughter, no matter what is going on in life, all that matters is her. I smile, I feel good, she is like the best happy pill on the planet.”
“It’s a constant encouragement to be the best person I can be every day without even trying,” he added. “It’s really, really great.”
Watch our full interview with Henrie, above, to learn more about “This Is the Year,” including how his love for ’80s movies influenced the film.
“This Is the Year” follows a high school senior Josh (played by Henrie’s brother, Lorenzo Henrie), who, along with his best friends, embark on a road trip to a music festival in an attempt for him to win over the girl of his dreams.
TooFab spoke to Lorenzo Henrie and co-star Vanessa Marano about their experience working with their family members (Marano’s sister, actress Laura Marano, makes a cameo), their thoughts on the film’s upcoming virtual premiere and more.
See our interview with the two, below!
BOLD Entertainment’s film “This Is The Year” premieres on August 28. Get your tickets to the virtual premiere, here.
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