After first being announced as coming to Fox in late 2014 and then being moved to The CW during San Diego Comic-Con weekend in 2015, Archie fans can finally stop holding their breath now that The CW has officially ordered a pilot for Riverdale. This take on the classic characters will be decidedly darker and more subversive than the Archie comics your parents grew up with. It’s also highly possible that the show will take influence from the more dramatic comic book series that was launched last July with Mark Waid at the helm.
Despite what any skeptics may have to say, it’s important to note the show is in good hands. Greg Berlanti will serve as executive producer, a man fans should recognize as already having brought us fantastic comic book shows such as Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow at The CW, as well as Supergirl at CBS. Archie Comics’ chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will pen the pilot episode’s script and has already served up awesome horror comics such as Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
For more information, check out the official press release below:
2016 is sure to be a major year for Archie Comics, as America’s Favorite Teenager celebrates 75 years of existence. But the party kicked off in a major way today with news that The CW has officially picked up the pilot episode for the live-action “Riverdale” TV series, to start filming this spring.
The one-hour drama will be written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Brothers Studios and Berlanti Productions and has been described as a subversive take on the classic Archie mythos. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schecter, Jon Goldwater, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa serve as executive producers.
The live-action series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. The show will focus on the eternal love triangle of Archie Andrews, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and rich socialite Veronica Lodge, and will include the entire cast of characters from the comic books—including Archie’s rival, Reggie Mantle, and his slacker best friend, Jughead Jones.
Popular gay character Kevin Keller will also play a pivotal role. In addition to the core cast, “Riverdale” will introduce other characters from Archie Comics’ expansive library, including Josie and the Pussycats.
Should Riverdale receive a series order, you can expect it to air sometime during the 2016-17 season. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed hoping they still plan on doing an Afterlife with Archie episode every Halloween.