Disney's live-action Afterlife with Archie aims to create a Zombie-infested Riverdale

Disney+ is reimagining the return of Archie and his story for television in an unexpected way. The new project, titled Afterlife with Archie, is set to reinvent the beloved town of Riverdale as a horrifying, zombie-infested nightmare.

This adaptation is based on the acclaimed comic book series written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with art by Francesco Francavilla. The comic series began in 2013 and quickly gained praise for its darker tone than a usual Archie story, complex plot, and interesting artwork. These elements were far removed from the lighthearted charm usually associated with Archie Comics.

Disney+ has given the series a script-to-series commitment, with Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions also attached. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will serve as writer and executive producer for the series. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Jimmy Gibbons, and Jon Goldwater are the other producers involved in the project.

With horror, survival, and teen drama colliding, Afterlife with Archie could become one of Disney+’s most daring original series yet.

Disney+ reimagines Riverdale in Afterlife with Archie

The biggest change seen in Afterlife with Archie is their change from the tone that defined the original comics. Instead, the live-action drama will transform the city of Riverdale into a nightmare world filled with brain-dead zombies. The series “re-imagines the beloved town of Riverdale as an apocalyptic, nightmare-fueled hellscape.”

This darker approach is no surprise given Aguirre-Sacasa’s past work. He has proven his ability to balance teen drama with supernatural themes. Now, working alongside Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Aguirre-Sacasa is free to lean fully into horror while maintaining the character-driven storytelling that keeps fans invested. Afterlife with Archie represents one of its most ambitious moves yet, proving that Disney+ is ready to embrace darker material when it has a strong creative vision.

From comic book classic to live-action revival

The upcoming series Afterlife with Archie is being adapted from the comic book series of the same name that made its debut in 2013. Written by Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by Francesco Francavilla, the comics flipped the cheerful world of Archie into a grim survival story. It was also Archie Comics’ first title aimed squarely at older readers, carrying a TEEN+ rating for its use of violence, gore, and unsettling themes.

Things unfold with an accident involving Jughead’s dog, named Hot Dog. To save his beloved pet from dying, he insists that Sabrina use her dark magic and save him. Although the spell works, a horrifying ordeal follows.

Hot Dog gets zombified under the spell and bites Jughead afterwards, infecting him as well. Both the infected spread the plague throughout the city of Riverdale.

Archie and the rest of the gang are set on a path of navigating through an infected world where trust, survival, and friendship are constantly tested.

The comic was widely praised for blending true horror with teen drama. It ran through major arcs such as Escape from Riverdale and Betty: R.I.P., before going on hiatus in 2016. Despite its short run, its impact was huge, spawning the Archie Horror imprint that later produced Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Jughead: The Hunger. Now, Disney+ aims to capture that same mix of terror and emotion on screen, bringing Archie’s world to an entirely new audience.

With Afterlife with Archie, Disney+ is betting on a daring reinvention of a classic franchise. This isn’t just another Archie reboot — it’s the beginning of a terrifying new story where survival, not school dances, takes center stage.