‘Riverdale’ Spinoff ‘Katy Keene’ Casts Lucy Hale in Titular Role

It looks like the Riverdale universe has officially found its Katy Keene.

According to a new report from Entertainment Weekly, Lucy Hale has been cast as the title character in the Katy Keene spinoff series, which was recently given a pilot order. Katy is described as “a twentysomething New Yorker who aspires to be a fashion designer. When she’s not working as a personal shopper at a luxury department store, she’s navigating friendship and dating in the big city.”

Hale is best known for her role in Pretty Little Liars, as well as appearances in Truth or Dare and Bionic Woman. This will mark the actress’ latest return to The CW, after she previously starred in the 2018 series Life Sentence.

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.

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.

Joining Hale on 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. Ashleigh Murray will be reprising her role as Josie McCoy in the pilot, and will be leaving Riverdale 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.

Katy Keene joins a pretty stacked roster of pilots ordered from The CW, including Batwoman, Super Clean, reboots of Nancy Drew and The Lost Boys, and a spinoff for Jane the Virgin.

What do you think of Hale getting the lead role in Katy Keene? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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