90210 alum Luke Perry will play Fred Andrews, Archie's dad on The CW's Riverdale adaptation. Newcomer KJ Apa will play the series lead, Archie. Ashleigh Murray will play Josie McCoy of Josie and the Pussycats fame. Additional cast members include Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones and Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper. Archie is described as , "an intense, conflicted teen, a boyish high school sophomore who got pumped up over the summer working construction and is now juggling the interest of several girls, as well as trying to balance his passion for writing and performing music — against the wishes of his father and his football coach."
Created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, the Archie comic follows a 16-year old sophmore student at Riverdale High School who starts a band - The Archies that is comprised of his two-main love interests (Betty and Veronica), his rival, Reggie and best fried, Jughead.
The live-action series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. The show will focus on the eternal love triangle of Archie Andrews, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and rich socialite Veronica Lodge, and will include the entire cast of characters from the comic books—including Archie’s rival, Reggie Mantle, and his slacker best friend, Jughead Jones.
Popular gay character Kevin Keller will also play a pivotal role. In addition to the core cast, “Riverdale” will introduce other characters from Archie Comics’ expansive library, including Josie and the Pussycats.