Netflix’s Sabrina The Teenage Witch Finds Its Zelda

Riverdale spin-off Sabrina The Teenage Witch continues to round out its main cast. Following the announcement that Lucy Davis (The Office, Wonder Woman) will play Hilda Spellman, Deadline reports that Miranda Otto (Homeland, Lord of the Rings) will star as her sister (and Sabrina’s Aunt) Zelda Spellman.

News of a Sabrina reboot has been met with the expected mixed reception, but the darker edged reworking of the 90s series and comic-book is slowly starting to win fans over. Here’s how Deadline describes the series;

“Based on the Archie Comics characters, the untitled project reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Shipka) 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.”

Kiernan Shipka (Feud) will star as Sabrina, and Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez has already been confirmed as playing the main antagonist. Gomez will play a beloved teacher at Sabrina’s school who becomes possessed by an evil force that will be a constant cause of chaos for Sabrina and her friends. I never read the Archie comic books, so my only experience with Sabrina The Teenage Witch is from the corny 90s TV series that starred Melissa Joan Hart. I watched more or less every episode, but I can’t claim to be offended by the prospect of the reboot. Riverdale is a surprisingly enjoyable TV show even though I’m not the target demo, but I can still enjoy TV shows not aimed at me. If Sabrina is half as smart as Riverdale, then bring it on.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.