Riverdale’s Ashleigh Murray Compares Her Josie and the Pussycats to Previous Versions

Over the years, there have been numerous adaptations — on TV and in film — of comic books based on Archie Comics properties, but few have been more visible to casual viewers than Josie and the Pussycats.

Josie was adapted to a Hanna Barbera animated series in 1970 — and while it ran for only 16 episodes, plus a Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space follow-up in 1972 — it was one of those Hanna Barbera cartoons that seemed to live throughout the ’70s and ’80s in syndication. In 2001, Universal released a feature film version starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, and a who’s-who of indie movie actors.

We’ve called that movie one of the most underrated comic book adaptations ever made.

So when it came time to talk to the cast of The CW‘s upcoming Archie adaptation Riverdale, we of course had to ask Ashleigh Murray what she thought about taking on a role with so much backstory in Hollywood.

“I saw the movie and I loved it,” Murray told ComicBook.com. “What’s nice is that I’ve had people asking me, ‘Is it going to be like the movie?’ Everything we’re doing with Josie is very different. It’s unique and particular to me and how I see her, also tied in with how she was depicted originally. She’s definitely not ditzy. She’s very determined, she’s very specific about what she wants, she’s very driven, and even with all that ‘girl power,’ she has a weakness. I won’t say what it is, but it’s coming.”

While this version of Josie and her Pussycats might not be what fans expect — they’re the no-mercy queens of the Riverdale music scene, and they’ve got no patience for Archie Andrews for a start — Murray told us that she’s very aware of the legacy she’s contributing to.

“What’s nice is that there is a lot of reception and support of it — not so much that ‘Oh, she’s wiping out the old Josie,’ because that’s not the case,” Murray explained. “I want to draw a lot from where she’s come from, even within the show. I want to be able ot go back to different series or comics and emulate what she’s wearing and be able to tie that in — almost like I’m a reincarnation of Josie for now.”

More Riverdale: New Riverdale Photo Showcases Famous Love Triangle / Molly Ringwald is Archie’s Mom! / First Riverdale Footage Released / Kevin Smith Wants to Direct An Episode of Riverdale / Riverdale Tie-In Coming From Archie Comics

Riverdale stars KJ Apa as Archie, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camilla Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Luke Perry as Archie’s father Fred Andrews, among others. The series’ showrunner is Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Archie Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer and the writer of Afterlife With Archie, the publisher’s wildly popular zombie series.

Riverdale will debut on January 27, 2016, on The CW. You can check out our review of the pilot here.

Earlier this year, Archie Comics launched a new series for Josie and the Pussycats. You can check out our review of the first issue here, and an interview with the writers here.

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