Ashleigh Murray lands lead role in Riverdale spinoff: Katy Keene

Josie is headed to the big city! The Katy Keene pilot has been picked up, and Riverdale star Ashleigh Murray will play the lead role.

Another Riverdale spinoff may be on its way and it’s taking Ashleigh Murray with it! The new show, Katy Keene, will give us a glimpse into a Josie in her 20s (post-Riverdale High) trying to make it in New York City.

According to Deadline, Josie’s (Ashleigh Murray) story will show the musically driven gal determined to make it in the music industry as a singer/songwriter. Through that adventure, she’ll form new friendships and relationships, and one day “become the star she is destined to be.” But Josie won’t be the only hustler in the Big Apple.

Three other Archie Comics characters, including “fashion legend to-be” Katy Keene, will be working just as hard. According to Deadline, the musical dramedy showcases the start of these characters’ adventures and the hardships they’ll face as aspiring artists “trying to make it” in the big city. Of course, Josie wants to be a musician, and Katy, probably, wants to be a designer. We’ll see who the other characters are and what their aspirations are. This series has a very Glee feel to it, which is fitting because Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa worked on Glee, and he is leading the way on the Katy Keene series.

This is all pretty bittersweet for Riverdale fans. We’d love to see this series, but if the Katy Keene pilot is picked up, Murray will be leaving Riverdale, according to the report. So what will the show look like without its Josie?

To be honest, I think Riverdale doesn’t show enough of Josie and she’s such a fun character that probably gets less screen time because of all the other complex storylines going on. Some of my favorite scenes are the ones where we’re serenaded by her voice. With Katy Keene literally being a musical dramedy, Murray will really get to show off her talent and we’ll get more Josie on our screens!

In Riverdale’s latest episode, “Chapter Forty-Seven: Bizarrodale,” Josie was one of the focal points and this proved that her storyline is interesting and her journey to success will be a treat to watch.

I’m a bit worried about the possibility of her leaving Riverdale. I’m not sure if I’ll be so invested in what little we already see of her character (although, we may be seeing more of her – SPOILER –  now that her and Archie could be a thing – my feelings on this pairing can be saved for later). But, I’ll just try to think of this as a prequel to her Katy Keene story and that should work, right?

We’ll let you know more about Katy Keene being picked up! Stay tuned for more information.