Upside-Down Magic

**Upside-Down Magic** is a Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Joe Nussbaum.

It is an adaptation of the eponymous fantasy book series by Sarah Mlynowski. The film was released on July 31, 2020.

## Plot

Best friends Elinor Boxwood-Horace and Reina Carvajal discover they have magical powers: Nory can transform into animals and Reina can control fire. They enrol at Sage Academy, a prestigious magic school.

At Sage Academy, there are different classes for each student: The Flare class is for those who can create fire with their hands like Reina. The Fluxer class is for those who can turn into animals like Nory. The Flyer class is for those who can fly a few feet from the ground. The Fuzzy class is for those who can talk to animals. The Flicker class is for those who can levitate things to them with the flick of a finger. The duo must test their magical powers to see if they are fit to be in the Honors-level classes for their magic category.

During the test, Reina shows off her flare skills while Nory unintentionally transforms into a cat/dragon hybrid while trying to turn into a cat. Reina is placed in the Honors Flare class, but Nory is placed in the Upside-Down Magic program which is run by Budd Scriff. In this program are students who have imperfect abilities as Headmistress Knightslinger considers them to be easy targets for the Shadow Magic, an evil force that uses a person's magic against everyone else through possession. As Nory and her fellow students secretly plan to perfect their abilities while assisting Budd in his groundskeeping, Headmistress Knightslinger is unaware that the Shadow Magic has ways of targeting the most unlikely students.

Reina discovers a book about Shadow Magic and, unaware of the Shadow Magic legend that Nory and the other UDMs were taught, takes the book to the dorm and finds a page about strengthening magical abilities. Reina reads the page because she was being belittled by a fellow Flare student named Phillip who has more Flare experience than her, and even her strange new friend Chandra is unable to fully help her.

Budd finds that his students are working to perfect their abilities in secret and agrees to help them while keeping Headmistress Knightslinger from finding out.

The next day, Reina prepares for Founders’ Day, where Reina competes against Phillip. Reina's powers are unusually strong and she gets to represent the Flares. Nory attempts to crash the competition by turning into a kitten, but instead becomes a wild boar/cat/dragon hybrid. Reina uses Nory's favourite Flare move to snap Nory out of it, but it almost burns Nory because Reina's powers have been so unusually strengthened.

The Shadow Magic book starts appearing after where Reina goes when she tries to get rid of it, and Chandra acts increasingly strange and has knowledge of the book. Reina tells Chandra to take the book with her. Chandra takes it, but it just reappears in Reina’s room. Chandra is revealed to be an embodiment of Shadow Magic in human form the next day when the other Flares cannot see who Reina is talking to. Chandra manipulates Reina and possesses her. At Founders' Day, Reina goes up to represent the Flares and uses a complicated Flare trick and becomes a shadow-like being who threatens to destroy the entire school. Eventually, it is the UDMs who are able to rescue Reina and return her to normal enough for her to defeat the Shadow Magic.

After the incident, Nory and the UDMs are moved into their respective magic classes and Budd is now an official Fuzzy teacher.

In the final scene, the Shadow Magic book falls off the shelf as it opens on a specific page that shows the magic logo with one symbol that has been removed in the normal magic logo. Shadow Magic is not fully defeated and it seems to have its own lost category of magic that it wants to show the world.... at any destructive cost.

## Cast and Characters

* Izabela Rose as Elinor "Nory" Boxwood-Horace
* Siena Agudong as Reina Carvajal
* Kyle Howard as Budd Skriff
* Elie Samouhi as Elliot Cohen
* Alison Fernandez as Pepper Paloma
* Max Torina as Andres Padillo
* Vicki Lewis as Linda Knightslinger
* Yasmeen Fletcher as Chandra
* Callum Seagram Airlie as Phillip
* Cynthia Kaye McWilliams as Professor Argon
* Elaine Kao as Professor Han
* Amitai Marmorstein as Professor Lewis

## Production

### Development and Casting

Disney Channel optioned the book series in 2015. Production began in August 2019 with the cast announcement. Joe Nussbaum directed and executive produced the film, with Suzanne Farwell and Susan Cartsonis also executive producing; Nick Pustay and Josh Cagan worked on the teleplay.

### Filming

Principal photography took place on Vancouver Island. Shawnigan Lake School was used as the setting for Sage Academy, with students used as extras.

## Release

Upside-Down Magic premiered on Disney Channel on July 31, 2020.

## Awards and Nominations

 Best Picture Editing Youth or Children's Program or Series