'Riverdale's Ashleigh Murray Joins 'Katy Keene' Spinoff Pilot

Katy Keene is expected to branch out the Riverdale world in some interesting ways, and it looks like it will be doing so with the help of a familiar face.

According to a new report from Variety, Ashleigh Murray has signed on for a lead role in The CW's Katy Keene pilot. Murray currently plays Riverdale's Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the now-defunct Josie and the Pussycats, and would exit the flagship show if Katy Keene gets picked up to series.

Spinning off from her time in the small town of Riverdale, a now 20-something Josie sets off on a new adventure to make it in the big city. More determined than ever to break into the music scene as the next Diana Ross, Josie finds herself forging new friendships, falling into new relationships, and, one day, becoming the star she is destined to be.

For some Riverdale fans, this will surely be a pleasant surprise, as many had initially wondered why Josie was not playing a role in the "musical dramedy" Katy Keene pilot. Seeing as the new spinoff is expected to be set years after the events of Riverdale (and Josie has not had as much screentime on the show as fans had hoped), it certainly makes sense that she would make an appearance.

Katy Keene is expected to follow the lives and loves of four iconic Archie Comics characters — including fashion-legend-to-be Katy Keene — as they chase their twenty-something dreams in New York City. The musical dramedy chronicles the origins and struggles of four aspiring artists trying to make it on Broadway, on the runway and in the recording studio.

For the uninitiated, Katy Keene is an Archie Comics character who first debuted in 1945. Dubbed "America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions", Katy was a model, actress, and singer who juggled her career with her personal life. The character fell out of print in the early 1960s, only to be revived in the 1980s. The character has only made a few appearances in recent years, including in 1994's Archie Meets the Punisher.

Are you excited to see Murray join the Katy Keene pilot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.