Looks like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, one of America’s most iconic brujas, is getting her own TV show again. Those hoping for a nostalgia trip are in for a shock though — in sharp contrast to the carefree upbeat tone of the 90’s version (as well as the 60’s Filmation cartoon), this will be a scary, frightening horror show.
You can pin the blame on Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the current chief creative officer at Archie Comics who has upended the tea table as far as their output for the past few years is concerned. He was the first man to order a change to their house style in decades, semi-retiring the DeCarlo look in favor of a broader, less cartoony appearance aimed at targeting an older audience. (The classic look lives on in digests, but I’m sad to see it marginalized even though I’m aware little kids don’t buy 32-page comics anymore.)
Aguirre-Sacasa has also taken the Archie brand in a direction no one ever thought would work — horror. “Afterlife with Archie” was his own creation, a gory zombie tale and the first comic under the “Archie” label meant specifically and exclusively for adults. He followed this up with “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” a throwback to pulp 70s horror comics…and that brings us to here.
The proposed CW show will be an adaption of this comic, a “dark drama/horror project in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby.” If the project gets off the ground it would be placed into the 2018-2019 season, and you can expect some foreshadowing on Riverdale — perhaps a pre-spinoff appearance?
