Warner Bros. TV and The CW are teaming up to develop a new take on the cult television show "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." With the success and popularity of the series "Riverdale," executives have given the green light to remake Sabrina into a horror story. The new series will be called "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."
Remaking a classic
The creators of "Riverdale" - Greg Berlanti, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater - have been asked to develop a new Horror Show featuring the popular teenage witch, Sabrina. The original Sabrina was played by Melissa Joan Hart from 1996 until 2003.
It was a show that targeted teens with its relatable heroine and witty, talking cat.
The remake is said to be inspired by "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist." Tonally speaking, the show should be terrifying. The creators have said that it will reimagine the origin story of Sabrina in a dark, coming-of-age tale. Her adventures will center around the occult and witchcraft, with heavy-handed horror thrown in.
As half witch and half mortal, Sabrina will struggle against the duality of her nature. All the while, she will be fighting against the dangers and horrors that threaten the safety of mankind, her family, and herself. The characters in the show will be based off of the Archie Comics characters.
Witches in Pop Culture
Since the early 1990s, witches have steadily gained in popularity through books, television, and films. Films such as "The Craft" and "Witches of Eastwick" helped to bring modern witchcraft into pop culture around the world. With the success of 90s cult television shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," supernatural storylines began to blossom.
Some of the stories, such as the famous book and film series "Harry Potter," have leaned towards a family-friendly version of witchcraft. However, the success of shows like "American Horror Story" have paved the way for iconic characters, such as Sabrina, to be reimagined into horror stories.
"Riverdale"
"The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" is still in the development phase.
Many beg the question of whether or not "Riverdale" will feature Sabrina in the next season. In the season finale back in May, the show dropped a hint about Sabrina when FP (Skeet Ulrich) was shown reading a comic in his prison cell.
When asked about the idea of introducing Sabrina on "Riverdale," Aguirre-Sacasa hinted that it may be possible in the future. He pointed out that several of the characters visualize supernatural things, but that the writers would need to be careful about how they introduce supernatural characters into a nature world.
