The Archie Comics universe is heading north to Veronica Lodges’s homestead—New York City. Robert Aguirre-Sacasa and Michael Grassi, the CW’s mastermind duo behind Riverdale and its first spinoff, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, are blessing us with another Archie Comics show, Katy Keene—and it’s already started filming.
The musical spinoff will be set several years down the road from the events in Riverdale. The dramedy follows Katy Keene, the model/actress/singer who is “bold, big hearted and independent,” as described by The CW. “Katy Keene is a twenty-something New Yorker who aspires to be a fashion designer.” The narrative will follow as Katy juggles her job as personal shopper, dating in the city, and maintaining friendships.
I’m so grateful for all the support you all have shown me. Starting new chapters are scary, but I’m thrilled for this one. Can’t wait to show you Katy Keene and for you to meet all these amazing characters !
— Lucy Hale (@lucyhale) March 12, 2019
Katy, played by the Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, takes on New York with her three equally artistic girlfriends—and one of them will look very familiar. Ashleigh Murray will appear as former Riverdale pussycat, Josie. Now in her 20s, she is pursuing her career as a superstar singer. On a bittersweet note, if the pilot is picked up for a series, Josie will be leaving Riverdale for good.
This isn’t Lucy Hale’s first time on a CW show. The actress starred in the network’s one-season-wonder, Life Sentence, that both premiered and ended in 2018. Hale’s character, Stella Abbott, was a terminally ill cancer patient who did everything on her bucket list, including marriage—before finding out she was cured. Having expected a short-lived marriage, both her and her husband must then navigate the turmoil of an unexpected future together. We’re just hoping Katy will stick around longer than one season!
There is no set premiere date, but the show will likely debut later this year.