Riverdale: Archie Comics TV series lands at Fox

Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica are coming to the small screen. Riverdale, a new TV series based on the Archie comic book characters, is coming to Fox, Archie Comics announced Thursday. The one-hour drama will be produced by Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions (“Arrow,” “The Flash”) and written by Archie Comics’ recently named chief creative officer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who was previously best known for “Glee” and his work in Marvel Comics. Aguirre-Sacasa is the scribe behind “Afterlife With Archie” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” and has been a key figure in the publisher’s resurgence. “This is something we’ve been working on for a while now, figuring out the best way to bring these characters to life for what will be, essentially, the first time,” Aguirre-Sacasa said in a press statement. “It feels like the stars have finally aligned for Archie and the rest of the gang.”

Here’s the official synopsis for the show:

Riverdale offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring the surrealistic twists of small-town life plus the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. Set in the present in the small fictional town of Riverdale, New York. 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.

In addition to the TV series, Aguirre-Sacasa and Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO Jon Goldwater are working on an Archie movie project. “[It's] going to be a straight-up teen movie,” Aguirre-Sacasa told Hero Complex last year. “It’s Archie’s coming-of-age story. Hopefully, it will be the ‘Archie’ movie people have been anticipating for 70-plus years. And here’s a tidbit: Expect to see fan-favorites Cheryl Blossom and Kevin Keller in it, in very prominent ways”, he concluded.