Disney+ Orders Afterlife With Archie Series

Disney+ has given a script-to-series order for Afterlife With Archie, an hourlong apocalyptic drama that reimagines Riverdale as a town overrun by zombies. The series is being developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — who wrote the 2013–14 Afterlife With Archie comics — and Greg Berlanti, with Warner Bros. Television producing for Disney+. The comic’s premise — Jughead’s dog Hot Dog is resurrected via Sabrina’s dark magic, triggering a spreading undead outbreak — suggests Sabrina will be a key character in the adaptation. Producers say the show will be darker and more horror-focused than previous Archie adaptations, continuing the team’s adult-oriented reimaginings such as Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It is expected to use a new cast rather than the CW’s Riverdale actors, and while Riverdale introduced a multiverse concept that could allow ties, no continuity has been confirmed. No premiere date has been set and Disney+, Berlanti Productions, and Aguirre-Sacasa have not released further details beyond the development announcement.