The 'Mad Men' alum is cast as the titular heroine in the adaptation of 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' which has received a two-season pickup at Netflix.
- Jan 6, 2018
AceShowbiz - Kiernan Shipka goes bewitching for her next TV role. The teen actress, best known for playing Sally Draper on AMC's series "Mad Men", has landed the lead role of Sabrina on Netflix's adaptation of "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" comic.
The untitled Sabrina project "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."
The title character, Sabrina Spellman, is 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. 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."
"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," says executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. "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."
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 favorite."
Originally developed at The CW as a potential companion to "Riverdale", the untitled Sabrina project received a 20-episode, two-season straight-to-series order at Netflix in early December. It hails from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also developed "Riverdale" based on the characters of Archie Comics.
Shipka starred on "Mad Men" as Don (Jon Hamm) and Betty Draper's (January Jones) oldest child since the first season until the seventh and last season of the period drama. She scored Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actress for her role on the show. The 18-year-old star was recently seen on "Feud: Bette and Joan".
