David Farnor | On 12, Oct 2018

Salem Saberhagen. The name conjures up happy memories of Melissa Joan Hart and an animatronic puppet from the 1990s TV series Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In 2018, though, that name’s about to become something far creepier, as a new clip from Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina introduces the new Salem for the first time – and let’s just say he’s not the Salem of your childhood.

The feline familiar for the young witch was once a source of sarcastic humour, but this new clip gives us a hint of something far darker, far more sinister and far more… tentacular. It’s only fitting for a show that promises to be tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, as the series imagines Sabrina’s origin and adventures as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. The adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit. Could Salem be one of those forces? Find out on Friday 26th October, when the whole show lands on Netflix. Here’s the new clip:

 

First look images: Meet the characters in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

19th September 2018

It’s now only a matter of weeks until Netflix’s dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch lands on our screens, and a host of new images give us a our first proper look at the diverse cast of characters.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Here’s a rundown of the people you can expect to meet in the series:

Sabrina Spellma (Kiernan Shipka)

An empowered young woman, half-human, half-witch, Sabrina is just beginning her dark education as a sorceress, even as she tries to maintain a normal life as a sophomore at Baxter High. Intelligent, compassionate and brave to the point of recklessness, Sabrina is all that stands between us and the forces of darkness that threaten our world. Pictured with Lachlan Watson (As Susie Putnam), Jaz Sinclair (As Rosalind Walker) and Ross Lynch (As Harvey Kinkle).

Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch)

The prince charming of this dark fairy tale, Harvey is the son of a coal miner, a dreamboat and a dreamer, completely unaware of the dark forces conspiring to keep him and Sabrina apart.

Hilda Spellman (Lucy Davis)

More nurturing than Zelda, Hilda’s motherly nature and warm sense of humor belie a wicked, ghoulish streak. She is as adept at brewing spite jars against her family’s enemies as she is at concocting love potions for the students at Baxter High.

Zelda Spellman (Miranda Otto)

Sabrina’s sterner witch aunt. Proud and devout, Zelda believes there is no greater honor than serving the Dark Lord as a member of the Church of Night. She is the family’s disciplinarian, fiercely protective of Sabrina, and very much Cain to Hilda’s Abel.

Mary Wardwell / Madam Satan (Michelle Gomez)

Sabrina’s favourite teacher and mentor at Baxter High. When she is possessed by the Devil’s handmaiden, MADAM SATAN, Ms. Wardwell turns into a sultry, cunning manipulator, always trying to lure Sabrina down the Path of Night.

Ambrose Spellman (Chance Perdomo)

Sabrina’s warlock cousin from England. Placed under house-arrest by the Witches Council, Ambrose is forbidden from leaving the funeral home where he lives with the Spellman woman. Witty, puckish, and pan-sexual, he is one of Sabrina’s partners in crime, always up for mischief.

Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle)

High Priest of the Church of Night and Dean of the Academy of the Unseen Arts. Ruthless and ambitious, Blackwood hides a terrifying dark agenda that will put him in direct conflict with Sabrina and other members of the coven.

Rosalind Walker (Jaz Sinclair), Susie Putnam (Lachlan Watson)

Rosalind, the brash, empowered and outspoken daughter of Greendale’s minister and Sabrina’s best friend at Baxter High. Susie Putnam is one of Sabrina’s friends at Baxter High and a founding member of the school’s newly formed WICCA club. Brave and optimistic despite being bullied at school, Susie lives on a farm at the outskirts of town and deals with a terrifying supernatural threat at home.

Nicholas Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood)

A young, handsome warlock at the Academy of Unseen Arts who befriends new student Sabrina Spellman. An acolyte of Sabrina’s father’s teachings, Nicholas is drawn to Sabrina, as well, and there are immediate sparks between them.

The Weird Sisters: Agatha (Adeline Rudolph), Prudence (Tati Gabrielle), Dorcas (Abigail Cowen)

The three Weird Sisters — a trio of powerful, uncanny teenage witches at the Academy of Unseen Arts who look down their noses at Sabrina for being half-mortal.

 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premieres on Netflix all at once on Friday 26th October, just after the debut of Riverdale Season 3 and just in time for Halloween. Click here for the trailer.

 

Tati Gabrielle to play Sabrina’s enemy in Netflix series

17th March 2018

Netflix’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch just found herself a new enemy.

Tati Gabrielle has been cast as Prudence, a nemesis of the young witch, who we all remember from the 1990s ABC sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart. This new take, from Riverdale’s Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror and the occult.

Based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the series follows Sabrina as she wrestles to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka will play Sabrina, with a cast that includes Richard Coyle as Father Blackwood, High Priest of the Church of Night and Dean of the Academy of the Unseen Arts, and Michelle Gomez as an evil high school teacher. Now, she’s got herself a more explicit nemesis in the form of Prudence.

A series regular played by The 100’s Tati Gabrielle, Prudence is a student at the Academy of Unseen Arts and the de facto leader of the Weird Sisters, a trio of witches. Described by Deadline as “beautiful and cunning”, she nurses a “deep, personal, and possibly life-threatening grudge against Sabrina”.

She joins the recently cast Ross Lynch as Sabrina’s love interest, Harvey Kinkle, Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis as her aunts, Hilda and Zelda.

 

Ross Lynch to play Harvey Kinkle in Netflix’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch

15th March 2018

Netflix’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch series has found its Harvey Kinkle in Ross Lynch.

The former Austin & Ally star will co-star in the Sabrina show, which re-imagines the origin and adventures of the eponymous teenage witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. If that sounds like a long way from the ABC sitcom, that’s no bad thing, as Lynch has big shoes to fill: Nate Richert, who played the love interest of Melissa Joan Hart’s Sabrina become something of a heartthrob in the 90s.

In this new incarnation, Lynch’s Kinkle is Sabrina’s boyfriend and the prince charming of a dark fairytale, the son of a coal miner, a dreamboat and a dreamer, who is completely unaware of the dark forces conspiring to keep him and Sabrina apart.

Lynch, who was just seen in My Friend Dahmer, joins Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina, Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis as her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, plus Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez as an evil high school teacher and Richard Coyle as Father Blackwood, High Priest of the Church of Night.

 

Bronson Pinchot joins Netflix’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch

11th March 2018

Bronson Pinchot is the latest actor to join Netflix’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch series.

The show, which is based on the graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, imagines the origin and adventures of the eponymous teenage witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, it finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

First lined up at The CW as a spin-off from Riverdale, the show has since moved to Netflix, and the streaming service is wasting no time in assembling a stellar cast, including Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina, Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis as her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, plus Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez as an evil high school teacher and Richard Coyle as Father Blackwood, High Priest of the Church of Night.

Now, another recurring role has been filled by Bronson Pinchot. The actor, who has appeared in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, True Romance and Ray Donovan, is perhaps best known to US audiences for his role as Balki in Perfect Strangers. THR reports that he will play George Hawthorne in the untitled Sabrina series.

Baxter High’s “villainous, puritanical” headteacher, he’s described as a “constant thorn in Sabrina’s side”, always trying to thwart her escapades.

 

Richard Coyle joins Netflix’s Sabrina series

23rd February 2018

Richard Coyle has joined Netflix’s Sabrina the teenage witch series.

The actor, who shot to fame as the quirky Jeff in Coupling, has enjoyed a diverse career since, from Terry Pratchett adaptation Going Postal to Amazon’s fashion drama, The Collection, and BBC’s Hard Sun. Now, hot on the heels of his West End turn in James Graham’s play Ink, he’s heading to Netflix.

Coyle will play the key role of Father Blackwood, High Priest of the Church of Night and Dean of the Academy of the Unseen Arts. Described by Deadline as “ruthless and ambitious”, his dark agenda puts him in direct conflict with Sabrina and other members of the coven.

If that all sounds rather sinister, that’s because it is. Based on graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the new series imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, it finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Coyle joins an impressive cast that includes Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka As Sabrina, Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis as her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, plus Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez as an evil high school teacher.

 

Miranda Otto joins Netflix’s Sabrina as Zelda Spellman

21st February 2018

Miranda Otto is the latest big name to join Netflix’s new Sabrina the teenage witch series.

The actress, known for her role in The Lord of the Rings and a scene-stealing turn in Homeland, has been cast as Zelda Spellman. She’s one of Sabrina’s two aunts, a proud and devout believer that there is no greater honour than serving the Dark Lord as a member of the Church of Night. She is the family’s disciplinarian and fiercely protective of Sabrina.

She joins The Office and Wonder Woman’s Lucy Davis as Sabrina’s other aunt, Hilda. Zelda is the sterner of the witch aunts, and described as “very much Cain to Hilda’s Abel”.

Both will be series regulars, alongside lead star Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) as Sabrina and a real life cat playing black cat Salem (a sarcastic, animatronic puppet in the 1990s TV series). Netflix’s TV show, which began life alongside Riverdale at The CW, is shaping up to be a darker version than the 90s adaptation of the Archie Comics. Based on graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the new series imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, it finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Other cast members include Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez as evil teacher Mary Wardell, Jaz Sinclair as Sabrina’s best friend, Rosalind, and newcomer Chance Perdomo as Ambrose, Sabrina’s cousin from England.

 

Michelle Gomez and Lucy Davis join Netflix’s Sabrina the teenage witch

17th February 2018

Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez and The Office’s Lucy Davis have joined the cast of Netflix’s new Sabrina the teenage witch series.

Gomez is one of Britain’s best scary actresses, from her role as the sinister Missy in Doctor Who right back to her hilariously twisted regular role as Sue White in Channel 4’s Green Wing. Now, after appearing multiple episodes of Fox’s Gotham series, Variety reports that she is getting her nasty game on once again for Netflix’s Sabrina series. She will play Mary Wardell, Sabrina’s favourite teacher as Baxter High, who becomes possessed by the Devil’s handmaiden, Madam Satan, and become a cunning manipulator, trying to lure Sabrina to the dark side.

She has been cast alongside another of Britain’s best, Lucy Davis, who first won viewers hearts in Ricky Gervais’ The Office as receptionist Dawn. Since then, she has gone on to play Dianne in Shaun of the Dead and broken into US blockbuster territory with a scene-stealing role as Etta Candy in Wonder Woman. Deadline reports she will play Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina’s two witch aunts. Originally played by Caroline Rhea in the 1990s TV series, Hilda is more motherly and nurturing than Sabrina’s other aunt, Zelda, but she has a wicked streak that’s hidden by her warm sense of humour.

Both women join newcomer Chance Perdomo who will play Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina’s cousin from England. Under house arrest by the Witches Council, he is forbidden from leaving the funeral home where he lives with the Spellmans, but is always up for mischief as her partner in crime.

The casting of the three key roles follow Jaz Sinclair nabbing the role of Sabrina’s best friend, Rosalind, and the unveiling of her new black cat, Salem. Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka, meanwhile, is in the lead of Sabrina.

Based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the series began life in the works at The CW, home of Archie Comics series Riverdale, before heading to the streaming giant as a Netflix original. Currently untitled, the 20-episode series order from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. It follows Sabrina as she wrestles to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

 

Netflix’s Sabrina finds its Salem and Rosalind

10th February 2018

Netflix’s Sabrina the teenage witch TV series is starting to take shape, with two major roles filled this week.

First up is Jaz Sinclair, who has been cast as Rosalind, the teenage witch’s best friend.

Described by THR as “brash, empowered and outspoken”, she’s the daughter of Greendale’s minister and Sabrina’s best friend as Baxter High School.

Sinclair is no stranger to Netflix, after starring in Joe Swanberg’s anthology drama series Easy. She joins Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka in the lead role as Sabrina.

Based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the show began life in the works at The CW, home of Archie Comics series Riverdale, before heading to the streaming giant as a Netflix original. Currently untitled, the 20-episode series imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. It follows Sabrina as she wrestles to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

The addition of Sinclair to the mix is a big step towards giving us a sense of the tone of the series, which is set to be drastically different to the TV series from the 1990s. The biggest challenge of the new series, though, will be living up to the legacy of the original show’s most memorable part: Salem the cat.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet #Greendale’s latest resident. All hail, Salem! #sabrina, #netflix pic.twitter.com/XZ1dNPgvja

— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) February 9, 2018

A 500-year-old witch sentenced to be a feline for a century, Salem Saberhagen was the undoubted star of the show, as obviously animatronic as he was hilariously sarcastic (thanks to Nick Bakay’s vocals). The good news is that Salem is coming back for more, with Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa tweeting out the first photo of the new black cat. Not animatronic and smaller in size, Salem looks set to be a suitably more serious companion for Sabrina, although how he will speak – or, indeed, even whether he will speak – is something we’re still waiting to find out.

The casting news arrives as production prepares to begin soon, with Aguirre-Sacasa also posting on Instagram this week the title of the first episode: October Country. There are no points for looking into one’s crystal ball and foreseeing an airdate just in time for Halloween…

Gotta catch up to #Riverdale… A long way to go, but the PATH OF NIGHT begins here…

A post shared by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (@writerras) on Jan 23, 2018 at 8:46pm PST

 

Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka is Netflix’s Sabrina the teenage witch

6th January 2018

Netflix has officially found its Sabrina the teenage witch – and it’s Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka.

Known for playing Sally Draper, the oldest child of Don Draper, in AMC’s drama, and fresh from a supporting role in FX’s Feud: Bette and Joan (as B.D., above, the strong-willed teenage daughter of Bette Davis), Shipka will be swapping period drama for spell books in Netflix’s new series.

Based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the show began life in the works at The CW, home of Archie Comics series Riverdale. With Netflix announcing in December that the show would now be heading to its own streaming stable, the online giant has wasted no time in finding its leading lady.

Sabrina’s officially described as “an empowered young woman, half-human, half-witch”, who is “just beginning her dark education as a sorceress, even as she tries to maintain a normal life as a sophomore at Baxter High”. She is “intelligent, compassionate and brave to the point of recklessness”, and, of course, “all that stands between us and the forces of darkness that threaten our world”.

Executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa says: “We’re all such huge fans of Kiernan’s work that when we started talking about who this new incarnation of Sabrina could be, her name was on everyone’s wish list. This is a darker, more macabre version of Sabrina, and we’re incredibly excited for people to see Kiernan make this iconic character her own.”

Currently untitled, the 20-episode Sabrina series imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Netflix describes the show as tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, as we find Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Executive producer and Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater adds: “I am thrilled that Kiernan is playing Sabrina and have no doubt that she will embody the strength, courage and boldness that has made the character a fan favourite.”

Riverdale, meanwhile, returns for more Season 2 on Thursday 18th January, with episodes arriving weekly on Netflix UK within 24 hours of their US broadcast. Not up to speed with Riverdale? Catch up with our weekly reviews of Season 2 here.

 

Photo: Kurt Iswarienko/FX

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