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CW’s ‘Riverdale’ Gets New Promo, Release Date, And More

By Clare Mulligan
Published on: 13:34 PST, Dec 18, 2016

CW’s Riverdale, the new hour-long teen drama, has released a new promo video that reveals new secrets about the show. Riverdale follows the lives and loves of the classic Archie comic book characters, with the plotlines adapted to fit a modern-day setting.

Much of the advertising surrounding Riverdale, including the most recent promo video released Friday, showcases how adult the show will be compared to the comic series. The Archie comic books portrayed Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends on wholesome dates getting milkshakes at the local soda shop. The Riverdale promo, on the other hand, shows off the cast’s bodies and emphasizes teenage sexuality.

The love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica has always been a key plotline within the comic book series. In fact, Archie Comics published a special series of comics entitled Archie Marries Betty and Archie Marries Veronica, speculating on the different possibilities that would have occurred if Archie had proposed to either young woman.

Riverdale will certainly highlight this love triangle as well, judging by the promo video. Archie is taken with local rich girl Veronica while at the soda shop with Betty, and his interest in Veronica does not escape Betty’s notice.

Newcomer KJ Apa (who dyed his hair red for the role, as reported in The Mary Sue) will play the main character, Archie, in Riverdale. Lili Reinhart plays wholesome blond girl-next-door Betty Cooper, who competes for Archie’s affection with rich, confident Veronica Lodge, who will be played by Camila Mendes. Cole Sprouse, star of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, will play Jughead, Archie’s lazy best friend who is obsessed with eating everything in sight.

The promotion for Riverdale has also highlighted the show’s darker themes of violence. The show’s tagline is “Welcome to Riverdale, a great place to get away with it all.” Collider reports that the official synopsis for Riverdale hints towards the show’s mysterious themes surrounding Cheryl Blossom, a popular girl in Riverdale.

“And then there’s Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch)… Riverdale’s Queen Bee is happy to stir up trouble amongst Archie, Betty, and Veronica, but Cheryl is keeping secrets of her own. What, exactly, is she hiding about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there are dangers in the shadows…”

As reported in The Huffington Post, other promotional videos for CW’s Riverdale have shown police tape, body bags, and hands with blood on them. Executive producer of Riverdale, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, emphasized the dark nature of the show.

“It’s definitely Archie, but a little darker, a little more complex and a little weirder than you might remember from the digest you bought at the supermarket.”

Riverdale will feature some other familiar faces from the world of Archie. Josie and the Pussycats, a local all-girl band from Riverdale, will also be making an appearance on the show. Riverdale High School teacher Ms. Grundy is also in the show, but her role in the series gets a scandalous twist in Riverdale. While she is usually portrayed as an older woman in her sixties, in Riverdale she is a “young music teacher” with whom Archie is involved in a “forbidden relationship,” according to the show synopsis.

The classic friendship between Archie and Jughead – usually so drama-free in the comic books – is also troubled in Riverdale. The show synopsis mention’s Archie’s “fractured friendship” with Jughead, implying that even their relationship is questioned and tested in the CW adaptation.

Riverdale will premiere on the CW on January 26, 2017 at 9 p.m.

[Featured Image by The CW]

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