Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV series)


Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is an American supernatural horror web television series developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa for Netflix, based on the Archie comic book series of the same name. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television, in association with Berlanti Productions and Archie Comics. Aguirre-Sacasa and Greg Berlanti serve as executive producers, alongside Sarah Schechter, Jon Goldwater, and Lee Toland Krieger.
The series is centered on the Archie Comics character Sabrina Spellman, portrayed by Kiernan Shipka, and also stars Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo, Michelle Gomez, Jaz Sinclair, Tati Gabrielle, Adeline Rudolph, Lachlan Watson, Gavin Leatherwood, Richard Coyle, and Miranda Otto. Originally in development during September 2017 at The CW, the series was intended to be a companion series to Riverdale; however, in December 2017, the project was moved to Netflix with a straight-to-series order, consisting of twenty episodes. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The first half of the first season, consisting of ten episodes, was released on October 26, 2018. The series received positive reviews, with critics praising Shipka's performance, as well as the premise, visuals, and directing. A Christmas special episode was released on December 14, 2018, and the second half of the first season was released on April 5, 2019, consisting of 9 episodes. In December 2018, Netflix renewed the series for a second season consisting of 16 episodes, split into two equal parts, of which the 8 episodes were released on January 24, 2020, with the second set of 8 episodes releasing in late 2020. In July 2020, Netflix cancelled the series.

Premise

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is set in the fictional town of Greendale. It is a dark coming-of-age story that includes horror and witchcraft. Sabrina Spellman must reconcile her dual nature as a half-Witch, half-mortal while fighting the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Cast and characters

Main

Part 1 (2018)

Part 2 (2019)

Part 3 (2020)

Part 4

Production

Development

In September 2017, it was reported that a live-action television series based on the comic book Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was being developed for The CW by Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, with a planned release in the 2018–19 television season. The series would be a companion series to Riverdale. Lee Toland Krieger would direct the pilot, which would be written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Both are executive producers along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater. In December 2017, the project had moved to Netflix under a yet-to-be-announced new title. Two seasons, comprising ten episodes each, have been ordered by the streaming service; this was later altered to be one, 20-episode season split across two parts. CW President Mark Pedowitz stated that Netflix's ability to offer a two-season commitment enticed Warner Bros. Television to move the series to the streaming service. In early May 2018, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was officially confirmed as the series' title. The series was inspired by "slow-burn horror" films such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and other "great satanic horror movies from the 1960s and 1970s". The opening title sequence features the art of Robert Hack, the original artist of the comic book series.
On November 12, 2018, Netflix announced that the eleventh episode of the twenty episodes ordered would be released as a Christmas special episode. It was not always the plan for the series to have a Christmas-themed episode. During production of the first episode of the second part, Aguirre-Sacasa realized that the series had already done episodes related to Halloween and Thanksgiving in the first part, and decided to create the episode. He noted the episode "was by and large self-contained, but that there are still elements that carry it through and the realizations and relationships and mythology — it sort of threads the needle. And so we figured out a story that could do both." The episode was also helpful for Netflix, who wanted some sort of additional, standalone content to release between the first two parts. On December 18, 2018, Netflix renewed the series for a second season of 16 episodes, which was also split into two parts. On July 8, 2020, Netflix cancelled the series.

Casting

In January 2018, Kiernan Shipka was cast as Sabrina Spellman. Shipka was Aguirre-Sacasa's first choice for the role. The next month, Jaz Sinclair was cast as Rosalind "Roz" Walker, along with Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardwell / Madam Satan, Chance Perdomo as Ambrose Spellman, Lucy Davis as Hilda Spellman, Miranda Otto as Zelda Spellman, and Richard Coyle as Father Faustus Blackwood. In March 2018, Ross Lynch joined the cast as Harvey Kinkle, while Tati Gabrielle was cast as Prudence Night. In early March 2018, Bronson Pinchot, Adeline Rudolph, and Abigail Cowen, were cast as George Hawthorne, Agatha, and Dorcas, respectively. In November 2018, it was revealed that Alexis Denisof and Jedidiah Goodacre would join the cast in the second part in the recurring roles of Adam Masters and Dorian Gray, respectively, while Mckenna Grace would portray a young Sabrina in the Christmas special episode.
In June 2019, it was reported that Lachlan Watson and Gavin Leatherwood had been promoted to the main cast for the second season. In December 2019, Sam Corlett, Skye Marshall, and Jonathan Whitesell were cast in recurring roles for part 3 of the series.

Filming

Filming for the first part began on March 19, 2018, just as filming of the second season of Riverdale concluded, which allowed the same crew members to work on both series. The first two parts were filmed back-to-back, with filming on the second part concluding on December 21, 2018. Filming had been expected to begin in February 2018 and last until June 2018. The first episode of the second part was the eleventh episode filmed, while the Christmas special was the twelfth episode filmed, despite the Christmas special being released as the eleventh episode overall in the series. This was because the idea for the Christmas special came about when the first episode of the second part was "too far down the line" to alter its production schedule. Despite the production switch, Aguirre-Sacasa said the first episode of the second part was written "as a premiere episode for the second part" and helps kick-off the storylines for the part. Production on the second season, consisting of the third and fourth parts, began on May 17, 2019, and concluded on February 22, 2020.

Connection to ''Riverdale''

The series was originally conceived as a companion series to Riverdale when it was in development for The CW; however, after the series was moved to Netflix, it was unclear if any connection would remain. In January 2018, CW president Mark Pedowitz noted that, "at the moment, there is no discussion about crossing over." In March 2018, Jon Goldwater confirmed that the two series were "two separate entities for right now" but "would love it if they could figure out a way to cross over." Goldwater also felt there was a possibility for the characters to appear on future episodes of Riverdale, since Greendale had already been mentioned as existing on that series.
Sabrina's town, Greendale, is introduced in the second season of Riverdale. Following that, several references to the two cities are made regularly in the two series, visually or with dialogues. In the first season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Moses Thiessen reprises his role as Ben Button from Riverdale during an episode. In the episode "Chapter Sixty-Seven: Varsity Blues" from the fourth season of Riverdale, Ty Wood reprises his role as Billy Marlin from Sabrina.
In episode "Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown" from the third part of Sabrina, the teenage witch and her cousin visit Riverdale in search for a crown that was owned by Benjamin Blossom, an ancestor of Cheryl. On their way, they pass the town sign. On its back, Jughead Jones spray painted the message "JJ Wuz Here", his signature. Three episodes later, a member of the Southside Serpents is attacked by Hilda Spellman.
Regarding a proper crossover, Aguirre-Sacasa said in October 2018 he would "hate to never happen" between the two series, adding that a potential idea for one would see the characters of Riverdale "hear about a haunted house in Greendale and try to break in and it's Sabrina's house". He also stated that since both series were already established, a crossover could happen in a standalone film with both casts, potentially titled Afterlife with Archie, based on the Archie Horror comic book series of the same name.

Lawsuit

In November 2018, Satanic Temple activists sued the series' production team over the use of the statue of Baphomet, which they claim was a direct copy of their own statue and portrayed the Temple in an inaccurate and derogatory way. On November 21, 2018, it was confirmed that Satanic Temple and Netflix have amicably settled the lawsuit dispute, with the terms of the deal left undisclosed to the public.

Music

On March 15, 2019, WaterTower Music released a digital EP with four songs performed by some of the members of the series' cast during the first part of the first season. A compilation of songs from the first season, including six songs performed by the cast, was released on digital by WaterTower Music on April 5, 2019. Soundtrack from the first part of the second season was released on January 24, 2020.
An album of Adam Taylor's scoring for season 1 was released on compact disc by La-La Land Records, and simultaneously on download by WaterTower Music, on August 16, 2019. A vinyl edition including the soundtrack and the score from the first season was released by Waxwork Records in 2020.

Season 1

Season 2

Release

The first ten episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina were released worldwide on Netflix on October 26, 2018. The same day, the first two episodes were shown in a special screening at Paris Comic-Con 2018. The eleventh episode of the first part, a Christmas special episode, was released on December 14, 2018. The remaining nine episodes of the first season were released on April 5, 2019. The first part of the second season, dubbed Part 3, was released on January 24, 2020. The second part of the second season, dubbed Part 4, will be released in late 2020.

Reception

Critical response

Part 1

For the first part of the first season, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating with an average rating of 7.77/10 based on 103 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Bewitchingly beautiful and wickedly macabre, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina casts an intoxicating spell and provides a perfect showcase for Kiernan Shipka's magical talents." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 74 out of 100 based on 28 critics for the first part of the first season, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Alicia Lutes of IGN gave part one a 9.2/10, saying that it "shines in its deliciously dark plotlines, volumes of camp, and irreverent and at-times antagonistic humor." Dave Nemetz of TVLine gave part one a "B+" saying that "Sabrina is more tongue-in-cheek and self-aware than Riverdale is ever allowed to be" and that it is "off to a bewitchingly great start." Meagan Navarro from Bloody Disgusting praised part one, stating that it is "fun and briskly paced".
Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter stated in a review of part one, that the "appeal of Sabrina, increasing as the show goes along, comes mostly from Shipka". He praises the actress's performance by mentioning that she is "perfectly cast complement to one of the show's most endearing elements, namely its blurry approach to modernity. Chris Hayner from Gamespot praised part one by highlighting the performances of the cast members. He further complimented the progressive undertones of the series and stated that it "manages to tangle with modern day issues many face, while couching it all in a supernatural world". Constance Grady from Vox praised part one, particularly for its cinematography, stating that its "higher production values are apparent in every frame, and the result is gorgeous". She further added that when the series fully commits to its dark goth horror aesthetic, it is at "its most thrilling." Petrana Radulovic from Polygon stated in her positive review of part one that "once the horror kicks in, the season continues with just as much chills and sets the stage for what comes next."
For the Christmas special episode, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating with an average rating of 6.56/10 based on 21 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "This holiday chapter from Sabrina's Chilling Adventures spikes the eggnog with the series' ghoulish sensibility, but viewers may feel disappointed by the special's confusion over whether it is a self-contained diversion or a continuation of the series' core story."

Part 2

The second part of the first season received an average of 6.88 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, with an overall 81% approval based on 43 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "With a stronger mystery steeped in witchy world-building, Chilling Adventures remains a deliciously dark, delightfully campy romp that pushes Sabrina deeper down the path of night — if only she would get there a little faster."

Part 3

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 90% of 29 critic ratings are positive for the part three, with an average rating of 7.36/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A deliciously hellish thrill ride from start to finish, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina just keeps getting better."

Accolades