Updated

Updated · Deadline · Aug 5

Jennifer Stone Reprises Harper Finkle After 15 Years in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

Updated

Updated · Deadline · Aug 5

Jennifer Stone Reprises Harper Finkle After 15 Years in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

Q: Could Selena Gomez's directorial debut in this massive wizard reunion secretly set the stage for the long-rumored spinoff?

There is no evidence that Selena Gomez’s directorial debut officially launches a new spinoff, but it clearly revives the possibility. What is confirmed is that Gomez directed the premiere episode of the four-part *Wizards Beyond Waverly Place* Season 3 finale event while also reprising Alex Russo. That finale brings back Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle and Gregg Sulkin as Mason Greyback, reuniting several original-series favorites. The story itself centers on rescuing Alex and reassembling the Russo family, so the reunion has a built-in narrative reason beyond nostalgia. What makes spinoff speculation credible is Stone’s own comment that she would be open to more *Wizards* stories and that she still likes the old idea of an Alex-and-Harper project, which she described as a “spinoff that never was.” She also said returning with Gomez felt natural, suggesting the chemistry is still there. Gomez’s larger creative role as executive producer and now director also signals she has influence in shaping any future extension of the franchise. Still, neither Disney nor Gomez has announced a Harper-and-Alex series. The available reporting frames the finale as a major sendoff, not a backdoor pilot. So the safest reading is that Gomez’s directing debut does not secretly confirm a spinoff, but the reunion, the renewed cast enthusiasm, and Gomez’s expanded behind-the-camera role all strengthen the groundwork if Disney chooses to move forward.

2 articles · Updated · Deadline · Aug 5

Jennifer Stone returns as Harper Finkle in the final-season arc of "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place," appearing in an alternate-universe sequence that reveals Alex Russo trapped in a limbo-like reality.
That brief reunion pairs Harper with Mason Greyback before the episode reveals Mason is dead and Harper is likely not real, serving instead to guide Alex back home.
Stone said she had assumed Harper was finished after the reboot launched 2 years ago and was surprised to get the call, slipping back into the role "like riding a bike."
The cameo also revives an abandoned idea from the original series' end — Harper and Alex sharing a "Wizards apartments" spinoff — while giving the franchise a nostalgic nod as its 3-season continuation closes.

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Deadline16d ago

Jennifer Stone Reprises Harper Finkle Role in "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place"

Yahoo! Voices16d ago

Jennifer Stone Denies Retirement, Returns to Acting for 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place'

How will Jennifer Stone balance a demanding real-world nursing career with her magical return to the Disney universe?

What hidden challenges did Jennifer Stone face trading a chaotic hospital frontline for the nostalgic set of Waverly Place?

Could Selena Gomez's directorial debut in this massive wizard reunion secretly set the stage for the long-rumored spinoff?

Sources

2 total

Deadline16d ago

Jennifer Stone Reprises Harper Finkle Role in "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place"

Yahoo! Voices16d ago

Jennifer Stone Denies Retirement, Returns to Acting for 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place'

Jennifer Stone Reprises Harper Finkle After 15 Years in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

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