‘Spellbound’: Hailey Melody Romain Teases Dance Magic & Mayhem in Teen Fantasy Series
Fall Preview
Hulu‘s Spellbound gives us a new rule to live by: Stay on your toes! In this delightful and suspenseful fantasy series premiering August 31, hip-hop-loving 15-year-old American Cece Parker Jones (Hailey Melody Romain) is already in danger of being cut from her new spot at the Paris Opera Ballet School (her moves are a bit too expressive!) when she discovers she’s born from a long line of witches, or “Wizens.” Not only that: She’s the Wise One, the most powerful Wizen of all.
“My favorite thing about Cece is her resilience,” said Romain (before the actors’ strike) from the set in the City of Light. “Also, she’s kind of chaotic.” The young dancer needs that strength and whirlwind energy as her worlds of ballet and magic collide.
Cece reluctantly accepts the shocking news of her powers, delivered by two teen Wizens, daring Lola (Gomolémo Tsagaé) and by-the-spell-book Amy (Imogen Mackie Walker), who become her guides and allies in using magic for good. Turns out, the junior witch inadvertently released herself from a protection spell cast by her family. Cece is staying with one of those Wizen relatives, Aunt Ginger (Raven Dauda), at the Paris outpost of W, a famous modern apothecary founded by Cece’s mom, Lizzie (Malou Beauvoir).
Why the protection spell? A mysterious evil group known as the Mystics wants to steal Cece’s magic. One of them, young Adrian (Cameron James King), masquerades as a pedestrian (the Wizen word for regular people) and gets a job at W so he can secretly extract the witch’s power. Of course, Cece just thinks he’s a cute boy.
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At first, her main problem is improving her dance skills without resorting to magic. (The beautifully realized classroom and stage dance sequences are choreographed by Sébastien Bertaud from Opéra National de Paris.)
It’s a tough temptation to resist. Her previous training stressed creativity, a non-non at the technique-driven academy. She’s harshly judged by perfectionist instructor Armando Castillo (Rik Young) and some of the students, such as snobby Benoit Ducasse (Etienne Moana), tightly wound Mia Banks (Abigail O’Regan) and brainiac Finn Cassidy (Zac Gabriel Werb).
Meanwhile, other classmates—easygoing Jack Ryder (Sam Darius) and arty Simone Souter (Margherita Barbieri)—want to help Cece fit in. In fact, Simone becomes Cece’s confidante and the only one who knows she’s a witch.
“All of our characters have different issues, different backgrounds, are navigating through different obstacles in their lives,” Romain said. Turns out, everyone is a fish out of water in some ways.
Just as Cece is to make two important debuts—one in a new modern ballet, the other at a meeting of the Paris Wizen coven—the danger from the Mystics reaches its peak: After a bold move from the evil cabal, Cece must give the dance and spell-casting performance of her life to save the lives of others.
Spellbound, Series Premiere Thursday, August 31, Hulu
This is an excerpt fromTV Guide Magazine’s 2023 Fall Preview issue. For more first looks at fall’s new shows, pick up the issue, on newsstands now.
