The Wizards Of Warna Walk introduces 13-year-old Emma Sofea and a well-known parent-and-child team
MAGIC is brewing on Disney Channel Southeast Asia as it unveils its first locally scripted series Wizards Of Warna Walk.
It is a fantasy sitcom that follows the adventures of a magical family living in Kuala Lumpur, who are ordinary Malaysians by day and wizards by night.
The series is about the D’Cruz family and its three young wizards, siblings Amelia, 13, Alissa, 19, and Aiden, 15. They are the children of Norman and Jasmin and the family runs a Peranakan kopitiam called Little Nyonyum in the heart of the city.
The three siblings balance their daily lives as regular secondary school kids with their secret training as wizards by their parents and colourful wizard relatives. Since they are beginners in the art of wizardry, they tend to be carried away and inevitably find themselves stuck in a variety of hilarious, crazy and heartwarming weekly adventures that are sure to delight viewers of all ages.
Leading the talented cast is Emma Sofea, 13, as Amelia. It is her first television role and she was selected after an extensive search around the country late last year.
The other stars of the show are Mia Sara Afdlin, 19, as Alissa, Oh My English! star Idan Aeden, 15, as Aiden, actor, producer and comedian Datuk Afdlin Shauki as Norman, and model and actress Carmen Soo as Jasmin.
The 14-episode series is a first for father-and-daughter team Afdlin and Mia Sara in leading roles. She has made cameo appearances in some of his films, most notably Papadom.
Viewers can also look out for weekly guest stars who include comedian Zalif Sidek of Lu, Gua, Bro! and Papa I Love You, Ruffedge singer and Keluarga Iskandar star Zain Hamid, Malaysian-based Indonesian comedienne Vicha Barbie of Saywho and Sabahan actor Fikhree Bakar of Klip 3GP.
AS MALAYSIAN AS IT GETS
Emma says that being part of Wizards Of Warna Walk is a magical experience she will never forget. “It is amazing to work with so many talented people, especially Datuk Afdlin, Mia and Carmen. I’ve admired them from afar and joining them in this exciting, all-Malaysian sitcom is a dream come true.”
Mia says her father encouraged her to audition for the show. “It’s great that he’s also come on board. As family, we work great as a team but Norman and Alissa are a lot more crazier than the two of us!”
Aeden adds, “I may be the voice of reason that stands between my rather dramatic sisters in the story, but Aiden has lots of personal adventures as the episodes unfold. I’m very much a Disney fan, and it’s amazing to be in a Disney series that’s as Malaysian as it gets.”
“It’s really cool to be part of Disney Channel Southeast Asia’s first locally-scripted show,” says Carmen. “I’m proud that Malaysia is the region’s first country to be picked to produce it and to have the opportunity to work with an amazing young cast. It’s also a reunion for Afdlin and I, since we worked together in the memorable comedy Baik Punya Cilok 14 years ago.”
Afdlin says that since he was a kid, he’d always wanted to be part of the Disney family. “I grew up watching Disney gems such as The New Mickey Mouse Club and countless Disney movies, animated and live action, during my schooldays. Now, as an adult and father, my dream has finally come true. Best of all, I’m sharing it with my daughter who is as big a Disney fan as I am.”
Even though Wizards Of Warna Walk is based on the popular Disney sitcom Wizards Of Waverly Place, its characters and storylines are wholly Malaysian, and the siblings also have different traits from those in the American series.
Afdlin adds it would be great if a star from the American sitcom makes a special guest appearance in the local series one day. “Even though I’ve not been a follower of Wizards Of Waverly Place, I’m familiar with it and admire Selena Gomez. Having her appear in our series would be a dream come true.”
Mia also says that Selena is one of her favourites, someone who acts well and writes her own music. “She has come a long way. She was fantastic as Alex Russo, the main star of Wizards Of Waverly Place.”
LOCALLY COMPOSED THEME SONG
Wizards Of Warna Walk is a multi-platform experience and apart from its weekly episodes, fans can enjoy weekly digital content on Disney Channel’s social media platforms facebook.com/DisneyChannelAsia/ and youtube.com/DisneyChannelAsia.
The original series on which it is based, Wizards Of Waverly Place, premiered on Disney Channel USA in 2007 and ran for four seasons. This series propelled Gomez to stardom and its final episode had a record 9.8 million viewers, the most watched final episode of a television series in Disney Channel history.
Wizards Of Warna Walk features the locally composed theme song There’s Magic Here, performed by Daiyan Trisha of Busker fame.
The sitcom premieres at 1pm on Aug 30 on Disney Channel (Astro 615) and is also available on Astro GO and On Demand. Astro subscribers can also catch the premiere of the sitcom on Disney XD (Astro 617) at the same time.