The creators of Riverdale are reimagining the Archie comics once again, but this time with an undead twist. First published in 1942, Archie Comics are some of the most iconic and influential comics in the medium’s history. The series, centered on teen romances, has long served as a snapshot of 1950s nostalgia. The most popular adaptation of the material was Riverdale, which aired for seven seasons on The CW and launched its own shared universe shows. It has been three years since Riverdale concluded, and while the stars of the series have moved on to new projects, it looks like the creators of the hit series want to revisit the material and adapt one of the most iconic — and different — Archie Comics storylines.
Deadline reports that Disney+ has ordered the hour-long drama show Afterlife with Archie to series. Based on the 2013 comic of the same name, Afterlife with Archie imagines the world of the beloved Archie comics as the town of Riverdale is overrun with zombies. The original comic was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and had artwork by Francesco Francavilla. Aguirre-Sacasa, who also served as the creator and showrunner of Riverdale, returns as an executive producer for Afterlife alongside Greg Berlanti.
‘Afterlife with Archie’ is Not Exactly a ‘Riverdale’ Reunion
RiverdaleThe CW
Although Afterlife with Archie is a creative reunion between the creators of Riverdale and its spin-offs, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Kathy Keene, it remains unclear whether the new series will be set in the same universe. Despite being produced by Warner Bros. Television, Afterlife with Archie will stream on Disney+, unlike The CW’s Riverdale and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Meanwhile, it is unexpected that Riverdale stars K.J. Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Dylan Sprouse, or Madelaine Petsch will reprise their roles. Yet, Riverdale’s final season introduced the concept of the multiverse, allowing Afterlife with Archie to remain somewhat connected to the overall franchise.
Afterlife with Archie was published in 2013 and was a major turning point for the brand. It was the first Archie comic to be aimed at an older audience, featuring realistic violence and mature language that contradicted the franchise’s traditional clean-cut image. It launched its own horror line in the Archie Comics that included titles like Vampironica, Blossoms 666, Jughead: The Hunger, and, of course, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which would later serve as the basis for the Netflix series. In fact, Afterlife with Archie, which juxtaposes the squeaky-clean image of Archie Comics with lurid subject matter, became the inspiration for Riverdale.
The latest series is one of two post-Riverdale attempts to reimagine the Archie universe. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, are working on an Archie movie for Universal Pictures. The script is being penned by Tom King, whose comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is being adapted into the upcoming DCU solo movie. King is also one of the writers on HBO Max’s upcoming series, Lanterns. It will be interesting to see two different takes on Archie coming from two different studios, particularly ones that will have to move out of the vast shadow cast by Riverdale.
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