Archie Comics Meets Pretty Little Liars and Twin Peaks.
Sex with Teachers. Murder. And milkshakes at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe.
New CW series Riverdale subverts the wholesome image of the Archie Comics small town showing its seedy underbelly. Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) returns to school a red-haired hunk, “Justin Gingerlake”, after a summer affair with Riverdale music teacher Ms. Grundy. Archie has changed from a letterman-jacket-wearing jock — he now wants to become a musician not work in his Dad’s construction company. Also back to school is Archie’s former BFF Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse), a writer and Bae. And girl-next-door Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), who hasn’t seen her crush Archie all summer. But wait, there’s a new girl in school, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mende) from New York. Is this the series’ take on the comics love triangle?
Other characters: singer Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) and her soon-to-be-famous band Pussycats; openly gay student Kevin Keller (Casey Cott); prankster and drunk Reggie ( Ross Butler); and Riverdale Queen Bee Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch), whose missing twin brother Jason turns up dead at the end of the pilot. Who shot him?
The parents: Archie’s nice-guy Dad, Fred Andrews (Luke Perry); Betty’s overbearing Mom, Alice Cooper (Madchen Amick) and Veronica’s Mom, Hermione Lake (Marisol Nichols).
Riverdale used Rocko’s in Mission as Pop’s in the pilot.
Riverdale images. Archie, Veronica, Jughead, Betty.
The main quartet in Vancouver for pre-production of the series.
The gang is reunited as #Riverdale prep begins! @lilireinhart @CamilaMendes @kj_apa @colesprouse @CW_Riverdale pic.twitter.com/QWT3ZaiOt3
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) September 1, 2016
Poster
Riverdale series starts filming today and is expected to wrap February 9th next year (date subject to change).