Riverdale Spinoff Receives 2-Season Order at Netflix
NETFLIX ANNOUNCES UNTITLED SABRINA SERIES (BASED ON THE ARCHIE COMICS GRAPHIC NOVEL THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA)
UNTITLED SABRINA SERIES imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.
Based on the Archie Comics characters and coming on the heels of the success of Riverdale, which is also based on characters from Archie Comics.
Auspices: Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television
Order: 20 episodes
Format: One-hour drama
Executive Producer/Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Executive Producer/Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Executive Producers: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter (Berlanti Productions), Jon Goldwater (Archie Comics)
UNTITLED SABRINA SERIES imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.
Based on the Archie Comics characters and coming on the heels of the success of Riverdale, which is also based on characters from Archie Comics.
Auspices: Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television
Order: 20 episodes
Format: One-hour drama
Executive Producer/Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Executive Producer/Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Executive Producers: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter (Berlanti Productions), Jon Goldwater (Archie Comics)
Source:
Update: Why Sabrina Moved to Netflix
The Sabrina spinoff originally was developed at The CW, a co-venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, but the network is said to have been higher on another witchy drama in the pipeline: Charmed. The latter, a reboot from Jane the Virgin's Jennie Snyder Urman, is being redeveloped after missing a pilot pickup this past season. (Charmed will remain 100 percent owned by CBS Studios if it ultimately moves to series.)
The move to Netflix is widely considered a win within the halls of Warner Bros., as the platform switch — which was discussed first with The CW's board along with execs from both of its parent studios — allows Warners to retain 100 percent ownership of the series from WB-based producer Greg Berlanti. Had the Sabrina project remained at The CW, Warner Bros. would have had to share ownership — and, more importantly, profits — with corporate cousin CBS, as part of The CW's business model. (Riverdale is a co-production between the two.)
The move to Netflix is widely considered a win within the halls of Warner Bros., as the platform switch — which was discussed first with The CW's board along with execs from both of its parent studios — allows Warners to retain 100 percent ownership of the series from WB-based producer Greg Berlanti. Had the Sabrina project remained at The CW, Warner Bros. would have had to share ownership — and, more importantly, profits — with corporate cousin CBS, as part of The CW's business model. (Riverdale is a co-production between the two.)
Note: The project is currently untitled but is based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.
Sabrina is coming to Netflix and she might just out-brood Jughead. Don't @ me about talking cats (yet)
— Netflix US (@netflix) December 1, 2017
Things are about to get a lot more CHILLING! #Sabrina #Netflix pic.twitter.com/QsHVTcfeyD
— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) December 1, 2017
Word is, likely based on the success of Riverdale on Netflix, the streaming platform gave producing studio Warner Bros. TV a two-season pickup offer it could not refuse. The CW, which also has another female witch drama in the works, a Charmed reboot with Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman, had only committed to development. Additionally, by going with Netflix, WBTV is retaining full ownership of the Sabrina series. (Riverdale is a co-production with CBS TV Studios per the CW business model.)
Still, the relocation of the potential companion series will not allow the CW to build an Archie universe the way it has with the DC series where characters frequently cross over.
Still, the relocation of the potential companion series will not allow the CW to build an Archie universe the way it has with the DC series where characters frequently cross over.
Source:
The streaming giant has handed out a sizable two-season, 20-episode straight-to-series order for an untitled Sabrina drama based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, picking up the intended Riverdale companion series from The CW.
Sabrina was put in development at younger-skewing broadcaster The CW in September. A casting search to play the reimagined teenage witch began almost immediately. Sources note that The CW and producers Warner Bros. Television had a list of actresses they eyed for the role. That is being revisited given the large commitment and move to Netflix.
Sources say the Sabrina order is for two, 10-episode seasons that would shoot back-to-back with the first batch filming from February to June and second from June to October. The writers' room opens Monday. A premiere date has not been determined and it's unclear how the 20 episodes will be divided in terms of rollout.
That Netflix would invest so heavily in Sabrina should come as little surprise. The streaming giant has SVOD rights Riverdale, the noir teen drama about Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes), and began streaming all 13 episodes of the first season after their run on The CW. Riverdale — which was originally developed for Fox before moving to The CW — became a summer breakout for Netflix, which in turn helped to boost the sophomore season of the show in the fall. Riverdale's Oct. 11 season two debut grew a whopping 60 percent from its midseason series debut nine months prior, becoming the first evidence of the impact SVOD deals have on linear viewership.
Sabrina was put in development at younger-skewing broadcaster The CW in September. A casting search to play the reimagined teenage witch began almost immediately. Sources note that The CW and producers Warner Bros. Television had a list of actresses they eyed for the role. That is being revisited given the large commitment and move to Netflix.
Sources say the Sabrina order is for two, 10-episode seasons that would shoot back-to-back with the first batch filming from February to June and second from June to October. The writers' room opens Monday. A premiere date has not been determined and it's unclear how the 20 episodes will be divided in terms of rollout.
That Netflix would invest so heavily in Sabrina should come as little surprise. The streaming giant has SVOD rights Riverdale, the noir teen drama about Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes), and began streaming all 13 episodes of the first season after their run on The CW. Riverdale — which was originally developed for Fox before moving to The CW — became a summer breakout for Netflix, which in turn helped to boost the sophomore season of the show in the fall. Riverdale's Oct. 11 season two debut grew a whopping 60 percent from its midseason series debut nine months prior, becoming the first evidence of the impact SVOD deals have on linear viewership.
