'Wonder Woman's Lucy Davis Joins Netflix's 'Sabrina'

Lucy Davis of The Office and Wonder Woman fame has joined the cast of Netflix's as-yet-untitled Sabrina reboot in the role of Sabrina Spellman's Aunt Hilda, Deadline reports.

The series is currently in production and will premiere later this year on Netflix.

Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina's two witch aunts, is described as "More nurturing than Zelda, Hilda's motherly nature and warm sense of humor belie a wicked, ghoulish streak. She is as adept at brewing spite jars against her family's enemies as she is at concocting love potions for the students at Baxter High."

Davis, who also appeared in Shaun of the Dead and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, joins a cast which includesKiernan Shipka as Sabrina, Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardell, Jaz Sinclair as Rosalind Walker, and Chance Perdomo as Ambrose Spellman.

The original title for Sabrina was The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, back when it was in development at The CW rather than Netflix. The series later headed to Netflix, where it got a two-season commitment.

Two conclusions fans and press have drawn are that Netflix provides a more uncensored environment for what is expected to be a horror-tinged take on the property; and that The CW has had some difficulty making room in its lineup for new series over the last few years, with a string of successes meaning that very few current shows are getting cancelled to make way for the new.

Unofficially, a report came out shortly after the move tying the decision to The CW's enthusiasm for Charmed, a reboot which comes from CBS and was recently ordered at The CW.

The network, which is co-owned by CBS and Warner Bros. Television, has had a string of high-profile hits from the WB side, which means CBS properties are a bit easier to develop. As a lucky bonus for Warner, distribution through Netflix rather than The CW would mean the studio could retain ownership of Sabrina rather than sharing it with CBS.

Netflix is also the home of Riverdale in some international markets where The CW does not have a presence. It has proven to be a success on Netflix both at home and abroad, and ratings in the series' second season have been consistently much higher than what the show enjoyed during its freshman year.