‘Riverdale’ Spinoff Pilot ‘Katy Keene’ Begins Production

The world of Riverdale is getting ready to grow in a pretty fashionable way.

Production has officially begun on the pilot for Katy Keene, the latest potential spinoff of the hit The CW series. On Wednesday, the official Archie Comics account shared a photo of the show’s cast and crew, as they prepared for a table read.

And on Thursday, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared a picture of one of the filming locations for the pilot, hinting at a scene between Katy Keene (Lucy Hale) and Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray).

The Katy Keene series will revolve around follows 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. The series will be set years after the high school-set events of Riverdale.

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.

Also in the cast of Katy Keene are Jonny Beauchamp as Jorge/Ginger Lopez, Julia Chan as Pepper Smith, and Camille Hyde and Lucien Laviscount as Alexandra and Alexander Cabot. Murray will be reprising her Riverdale role as Josie McCoy in the pilot, and will be leaving the flagship show if the project gets picked up to series.

The pilot will be written by Michael Grassi and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the latter of whom serves as showrunner for Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and as CCO for Archie Comics. The drama hails from Warner Bros. TV, and will be executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Archie CEO Jon Goldwater.

Are you excited to see Katy Keene potentially hit The CW? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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