The Archie gang has always had their issues, but now, they’ll battle the undead on Disney+. The streamer has just given a script-to-series commitment to Afterlife With Archie, a one-hour drama series based on the comic books by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla.
Deadline broke the news, which was heavily rumored earlier this summer. The comic, which debuted in 2013, reimagines the town of Riverdale as the heart of a zombie apocalypse. So, you get all the classic Riverdale characters—Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead—as you know them, but they have to kill zombies. Back when it was released, we called it “more Walking Dead than Scooby Doo, but without Walking Dead‘s gruesome need to constantly outdo its own violence.” Which is what gives it just the right edge for Disney+.
And, of course, it’s coming from the right team. Though Aguirre-Sacasa helped create the comic, he’s also known for showrunning Riverdale, the hit angsty version of Archie that ran for multiple seasons and created stars out of its young cast. He is also joined as a producer by Greg Berlanti and his team, who are also very familiar with mixing comics and teen drama thanks to their work on Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, DC shows in the Arrowverse, and so much more.
The news comes on the heels of another talented team, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, working in the world of Archie Comics on the big screen over at Universal. That means we might get a traditional Archie movie in theaters, and the same characters swinging baseball bats at heads on Disney+. Which sounds fun, but also, are audiences this interested in Archie? Sure, it’s recognizable and part of pop culture, but is it still that relevant and exciting? I guess we’ll find out.
Are you ready to watch Afterlife With Archie on Disney+? Let us know below.