Remember the time when almost all TV shows had Halloween episodes? That’s relatively uncommon nowadays, save for animated comedies and sitcoms. Even the shows with supernatural premises double down on the horror to celebrate the season. Disney’s upcoming live-action TV series will not only feature a Halloween episode, but will fully embrace the macabre. It’s a teen drama that leans heavily on one of horror’s best subgenres, based on one of the longest comic book franchises that features an incredibly eclectic ensemble. The zombie subgenre has been explored to death in pop culture, but there’s always a way to flip the script and offer something refreshing, like turning a traditionally wholesome comic book into a horror graphic novel. Can you imagine Archie, Jughead, and the rest of the gang fending off zombies in Riverdale? Published in 2013 under the Archie Horror imprint, Afterlife With Archie imagined an alternate reality where Riverdale is overrun by the walking dead. Disney+ has just ordered a TV adaptation of that comic book. Confirmed in development in 2025, Disney+’s Afterlife With Archie will be based on Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla’s graphic novel, released in two five-issue volumes from 2013 to 2016. It was the first Archie comic rated not suitable for children, as it depicted disturbing scenes and realistic violence. It’s not yet clear whether the explicit scenes will be toned down or removed in the Disney+ adaptation, but Aguirre-Sacasa penned the script and serves as executive producer, so we can only hope.

K.J. Apa’s Archie Andrews, Camila Mendes’ Veronica Lodge, Cole Sprouse’s Jughead Jones, and Lili Reinhart’s Betty Cooper in RiverdaleThe CW

The logline for Afterlife With Archie reads, “When a supernatural spell from a certain teen-witch backfires, unleashing an army of the possessed dead upon Riverdale, Archie and his friends must fight to stay alive, testing the friendships, romances, and loyalties that have always held them together.” That’s enough to pique interest, and it appears consistent with the plot of the comic book. It’s interesting that the logline refers to the Riverdale zombies as “the possessed dead,” because the comic also ventured into cosmic horror, alluding to an ancient entity influencing the chaos. Aguirre-Sacasa’s previous writing credits include episodes of Glee, Looking, and The CW’s Supergirl. He also wrote and developed Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale, both mature-themed shows based on the Archie comic book series. If you’re still not convinced by Aguirre-Sacasa’s horror chops, he also penned the screenplay for 2013’s Carrie and 2014’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown. He currently serves as chief creative officer for Archie Comics. The Archie Horror imprint has four ongoing comic book series — Afterlife With Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Jughead: The Hunger, and Vampironica, on top of one-shot standalone issues and limited series. Archie Comics has also crossed over into other franchises, in Archie vs. Sharknado, Archie Meets Glee, Archie Meets the Punisher, Archie Meets Batman, and Archie vs. Predator. There’s also a full-length Archie movie in the works.

Afterlife With Archie is currently slated for a Halloween 2027 launch.