Sabrina the Teenage Witch to Get Superhero Makeover, “Edgy” Film

Ok, I’m in my mid-30s (I can finally admit that without feeling panic and fear creep in), and I’m well aware of the role that the T.G.I.F. lineup from ABC played in some part of my upbringing.  I also am aware of the mass strip mining of everything from my childhood being repacked and repurposed in order to squeeze more dollars out of my nostalgia (Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or whatever it will end up being called) and on many levels I accept that.  However, some things might be reaching.  Enter the news today that, according to Deadline, Sony Pictures wants to give good natured teenage witch Sabrina the reboot it obviously needs and has been crying out for all these years.  Deadline reports that Sony seeks to give Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, originally a comic from the 1960’s Archie universe, a makeover that will see her as a teenage superhero in the same vein as Spider-Man, about a teenager coming to terms with awesome powers that they’ve been granted.  The project is apparently a pretty solid go, as it already has scriptwriters in the form of Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari.  Producers attached to the project include Don Murphy and Susan Montford, who worked on the Hugh Jackman vehicle Real Steel.  There will also be oversight in the form of Archie Comics’ Jon Goldwater, who will act as executive producer.  Another interesting feature of the film, it will keep the cat named Salem, Sabrina’s sidekick for seven seasons on the wildly successful Melissa Joan Hart ABC television series.  In the film version, he will not simply be the drolly amusing cat that he was on the show.  Instead, he will be given a backstory involving his transformation from a prince who will set up “unique love stories for Sabrina.”  No word yet on other plans for casting.