The CW Developing Sabrina Series as Companion to Riverdale

The CW is developing The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a supernatural horror TV series a companion to Archie Comics show Riverdale. The network has greatly expanded its lineup of comic book-adapted series in recent years. The CW first launched its DC Comics universe with Arrow, then expanded it to include The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and CBS-transplant Supergirl. The universe will further expand (sort of) with the premiere of Black Lightning in early 2018, but the network is looking to develop another of its comic properties. Riverdale, an adaptation of Archie Comics' most iconic characters, premiered early this year to critical acclaim, earning the series a second season.

However, many have wondered whether another of the characters that falls under the Archie Comics banner would be coming to The CW either as part of Riverdale or on her own series - that character being Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Of course, Melissa Joan Hart starred in a Sabrina TV series during the late '90s/early '00s, but given the genre influences on Riverdale, fans have hoped for a similar spin on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Now, those hoping for a new Sabrina series are in luck.

Related: Archie Comics & WB TV Deal Sets Stage for Riverdale Spinoffs

The CW and WBTV announced they're developing a "dark drama in the horror genre" titled The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It's being billed as a companion to Riverdale, but it's unclear whether Sabrina will debut in the established CW series before spinning off into her own show, or if The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will be kept separate for the time being. Read the logline and take a look at art for the new series below:

THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

[vn_gallery name="The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV Series Art" id="1070150"]

So far, The CW has ordered The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to a script development deal with Riverdale showrunner/Archie Comics chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa writing, Lee Toland Krieger set to direct, as well as Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Jon Goldwater on board as executive producers. The series is aiming for the 2018-2019 TV season, so it will be some time before The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina could hit television screens. Additionally, it still has quite a few stages of development to get through before it's picked up by The CW.

That said, fans have been clamoring for a Sabrina the Teenage Witch series in the vein of Riverdale since the show premiered (perhaps even before then), and The CW is a network well known for giving its viewers what they want. Certainly, the network took note of all the interest in its DC Comics programming and have continued to build that universe to the point of including five separate series. Given the amount of critical and fan acclaim for Riverdale, it's not all that surprising that The CW would look to further develop the Archie Comics world.

Additionally, with The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina set as a supernatural horror series "in the vein of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist," The CW has the chance to tap into genres the network's other comic book series haven't been able to (with the arguable exception of iZombie). The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has the opportunity to adapt a beloved character in an entirely new way that could potentially appeal to long-time fans and newcomers alike. While it remains to be seen whether The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina makes it through the development process to debut on The CW in the 2018-2019 season, fans will surely be excited to hear about the potential series.