An Afterlife with Archie TV series based on the Archie horror comic by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla is heading to Disney+. The streamer made a script to series commitment for the show in 2025, and now it has been greenlit with a scheduled premier date of Halloween 2027.

Archie Comics typically tells humor and slice of life stories, but the publisher has a history of crossovers and dipping into other genres for one-shots and specials. Afterlife with Archie upped the ante with a 10-issue horror story in which zombies invaded the charming, safe town of Riverdale.

The comic written by Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by Francavilla starts with Jughead asking Sabrina the Teenage Witch to bring Hot Dog back to life after he is hit by a car. Unfortunately, the loveable pooch comes back as a zombie and bites Jughead, who then becomes a zombie and spreads it all over town. From there, Archie Andrews and his friends will fight to survive the nightmare as it steadily grows with unsatiable hunger.

“This was the comic book that started it all. Before there was a Riverdale, before there was a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there was Afterlife with Archie, which I collaborated on with the best horror artist in the business, Francesco Francavilla,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “Getting to turn Afterlife into a TV series for the amazing team at Disney+ with our incredible partners at Berlanti Productions, WB and, of course, Jon (Goldwater) and his Archie family is truly a full-circle moment – and the ultimate dream project for me. Time to say a prayer for Archie, Betty, Veronica and the whole gang, ‘cause THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING!!!!”

Aguirre-Sacasa will be an executive producer on the show, with Jimmy Gibbons of Muckle Man; Jon Goldwater for Archie Comics Studios; and Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman of Berlanti Productions.

Afterlife with Archie is the third live-action show based on an Archie comic from Aguirre-Sacasa, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. The group worked together on Riverdale that aired on The CW and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (another comic written by Aguirre-Sacasa) that streamed on Netflix.

“Afterlife with Archie has always been about more than just zombies – it’s about the friendships, loyalty and humanity that make Riverdale worth fighting for,” Disney Kids & Family President Ayo Davis said. “Roberto, Greg, Sarah and Jon have such a deep appreciation for these characters, and they’ve built something that’s equal parts thrilling and heartfelt. Fans are going to fall hard for this new version of the gang… and maybe scream a little too.”

“We are so happy to reunite with Roberto on this exciting series that takes us back into the Riverdale world that we so love, and we are thankful to Disney+ and WBTV for giving us the opportunity to revisit some of our favorite characters in a unique and thrilling way,” Berlanti and Schechter said. “A special thank you to Jon Goldwater for letting us continue to play within the beloved Archie universe and trusting us to bring Archie’s various stories to life.”