Riverdale has always had a strange side, but Afterlife With Archie takes that darkness somewhere much more dangerous. The comic gave Archie Comics’ familiar characters a very different kind of story, one that pushed Riverdale into unexpected territory. Now, that story is heading to Disney+ with the writer behind it returning to bring the adaptation to television. For Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the trip back to Riverdale comes with a much darker story to tell.
A Darker Riverdale Is Coming to Disney+
Disney+ has greenlit a television adaptation of Afterlife With Archie, with the series currently slated for fall 2027. Warner Bros. Television will produce the project, based on the comic by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla. Aguirre-Sacasa will serve as showrunner and executive producer, with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Jimmy Gibbons, and Jon Goldwater also serving as executive producers.
The story transforms Riverdale into the center of a zombie outbreak. A supernatural spell goes wrong and unleashes an army of possessed dead. Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and their friends must fight to survive as their relationships come under pressure from every direction.
The series also reunites Aguirre-Sacasa and Berlanti after their work on Riverdale. That series ran for seven seasons on The CW. Their previous Archie-related collaboration also includes Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which ran for four seasons on Netflix.
Deadline reports that the series is targeting a Halloween 2027 premiere. Disney+ has not announced a specific release date.
The adaptation gives Aguirre-Sacasa a chance to return to the story he created with Francavilla while bringing its horror premise to television for the first time.
How ‘Afterlife With Archie’ Changed Riverdale
Afterlife With Archie first arrived in 2013, with Aguirre-Sacasa writing and Francavilla handling the art. The series immediately looked different from the bright, familiar Archie Comics stories that came before it. Francavilla gave Riverdale a shadowy, atmospheric style that made the town feel unsettling even before the horror took hold.
The story begins with Jughead asking Sabrina Spellman for help after his dog, Hot Dog, dies. Sabrina’s attempt to bring Hot Dog back unleashes something far worse. The supernatural disaster soon spreads through Riverdale, pitting the familiar characters against the dead.
The comic ran for 10 published issues across two story arcs, “Escape From Riverdale” and “Betty: R.I.P.” The series earned strong reviews and recognition, including Ghastly Awards for Best New Series and Best Ongoing Title.
Now, the complete 10-issue story will receive its first deluxe collection on Oct. 27, 2026. The hardcover from Oni Press will collect all 10 issues by Aguirre-Sacasa and Francavilla.
Riverdale Has Never Looked This Dangerous
Afterlife With Archie gives Disney+ a chance to revisit one of Archie Comics’ boldest reinventions. The comic took characters known for teen romance and small-town drama and placed them in a world where those familiar dynamics could no longer offer much protection.
Aguirre-Sacasa’s return gives the adaptation a direct connection to the original comic. Now, the challenge is bringing Francavilla’s distinctive horror world to television while giving this version of Riverdale its own identity. We’ll see just how far this story can go.
Would you watch Afterlife with Archie when it premieres on Disney+?
