Although news of Netflix’s new series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina first broke months ago, today marks the first release of images from the show’s production. The two pictures, which appear to be packed with meaning and hints as to the themes that are most likely to be explored throughout the series, provide an unprecedented look into the highly-anticipated new show. An official Twitter page operated by Netflix tweeted the two images at:
https://twitter.com/seewhatsnext/status/1029019752621006848?s=20
The series, one that is set to mix drama and horror together, shares close ties to the popular CW show Riverdale, a program also created by The Chilling Adventures’ Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Aguirre-Sacasa is a man with a very lengthy background to boast, having already written plays and comic books, as well as serving as the Chief Creative Officer at Archie Comics, the publishing company behind the comics version of both Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
The first of the images sees a young Sabrina alone in a wooded area, with nothing but a bright red coat to make her stand apart from her surroundings. The detail in the image causes numerous questions to be raised regarding it’s composition, including the meaning behind the intentional blurriness that surrounds the girl. The image seems to announce the certainty of the show’s staff in regards to the direction of the story they are telling. They show already appears to have a distinct style and perception of the young witch, and have made that known with the release of only two pictures.
Sabrina of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, was first introduced in the comic book world back in 2014, and immediately brought darkness with her. However, this was not the first appearance of a young witch named Sabrina in the public eye. Instead, Sabrina was once the lead in the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, having first aired back in 1996. This show, in which Melissa Joan Hart played the everyday-girl version of the witch, was one that focused on more light-hearted matters and was appropriate for those of all ages.
The history of the character does not end there, however, as the sitcom itself was based on it’s own comic book predecessor, also sharing the show’s title. The long history behind this series may help to strengthen the reception of the newest addition to the cauldron. Having proof that the themes associated with witches have stood the test of time, those at Netflix are reasonable in their hopes of having history repeat itself when it comes to the popularity of the new version.
The second image released by Netflix only strengthens the idea that the new series is likely to be filled with scenes that delve deep into themes of a mystical, yet grim, nature. With dark colors abounding in the ritual-like event shown, the series does not appear to share almost any overlap beyond character names with the sitcom version.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will see Kiernan Shipka, who portrayed Sally Draper in the wildly-successful AMC hit Mad Men take on the title role. The show will also star Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto as Sabrina’s aunts Hilda and Zelda, respectively, and Richard Coyle as Father Blackwood, the unnerving man performing the ritual in the second image.
The series will premier on Netflix on October 26.