Ever since Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina debuted on Netflix in October 2018, we’ve been spellbound by the deliciously dark, coming-of-age supernatural series.
Based on the Archie comic book series of the same name, the show centers around Sabrina Spellman, a half-human, half-witch teenager who is just beginning her dark education while trying to maintain a normal life. Set in the fictional town of Greendale, Sabrina, portrayed by Kiernan Shipka, must reconcile her dual nature of fighting the evil forces that threaten her and her family and the daylight world humans inhabit
The series also stars Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo, Michelle Gomez, Jaz Sinclair, Tati Gabrielle, Adeline Rudolph, Lachlan Watson, Gavin Leatherwood, Richard Coyle, Miranda Otto and Mckenna Grace as a young Sabrina in flashbacks.
As happy as we are to kiss 2020 goodbye, December 31 also marks the day Netflix releases Part 4 and the series’ final eight episodes.
“I hope people found joy in the show and I hope people found an escape in the show,” Shipka told ET. “And I hope that this show inspired people to come into their own power and be the most unapologetic version of themselves.”
“I think all these characters were given such beautiful arcs, and every character changed and grew so much and to the best version of themselves by the end of Part 4. I hope that people who rode along with us felt like maybe they can do that in their own lives as well,” she added. “I hope parallels were found, because I know I found them. So, I really hope that it really inspires people to just live fearlessly and boldly and kindly at the end of the day.”
As we emotionally prepare for the series finale, we are revealing some juicy secrets from behind the scenes of the binge-worthy show. Check out seven shocking facts about Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina below.
KIERNAN SHIPKA WAS THE FIRST “REAL” SABRINA TEENAGE WITCH
The show’s leading lady was in her teens when the series premiered on Netflix, making her the first real-teen to play the teenage character, Sabrina Spellman, in a live-action TV series. Melissa Joan Hart, who portrayed the character on Sabrina The Teenage Witch from September 1996, to May 2000, was entirely in her twenties when she starred on the beloved ABC sitcom.
THERE IS A GOOD REASON SALEM IS SILENT
In this series, Sabrina’s pet cat, Salem, doesn’t talk or get as much screen time as he did in Sabrina The Teenage Witch. One of the reasons behind this change, besides the show pursuing a much darker tone, is that Shipka is actually allergic to cats. At some point, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa even considered turning Salem into a dog.
The leading actors swapped hair colors
Shipka had long brown hair when she did her first screen test for the role of Sabrina. She was asked to come back and do another screen test with short blonde hair. After she changed her hair, she was offered the part. Ross Lynch, who was cast as Sabrina’s boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle, was then asked to dye his hair brown, since the producers felt that he looked too similar to the Mad Men alum’s new blonde hair.
Lucy Davis IS NO STRANGER TO PLAYING A WITCH
On Sabrina, Lucy Davis plays Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina’s two witch aunts, who has a motherly nature and warm sense of humor, and is skilled at brewing potions. Perhaps the role was a perfect fit for has as the English actress previously played a witch when she starred in the 1999 children’s TV show, Belfry Witches, as the mischievous Old Noshie.
SABRINA Subtly gives SHOUT-outS to OTHER HORROR classics
The Netflix series pays homage to both the 1977 Italian supernatural horror film, Suspiria, and the 1984 iconic slasher film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Eagle eyed horror fans will notice the Spellman living room has the same color glass ceiling seen in Suspiria (which is also about a coven of witches) and the scene with Harvey falling asleep with headphones on wearing a crop top is homage to Johnny Depp’s character in Elm Street.
A PROPER Sabrina/Riverdale crossover ALMOST Happened
Originally in development at The CW, Sabrina was intended to be a companion series to Riverdale, the wildly popular teen television drama also based on characters from the Archie Comics.The project was later moved to Netflix with a straight-to-series order bur the two shows stayed connected by occupying the same fictional universe. Sabrina’s town, Greendale, is introduced in the second season of Riverdale. Following that, several references to the two cities are made regularly in the two series, visually or with dialogues. In the first season of Sabrina, Moses Thiessen reprises his role as Ben Button from Riverdale during an episode. In the episode “Chapter Sixty-Seven: Varsity Blues” from the fourth season of Riverdale, Ty Wood reprises his role as Billy Marlin from Sabrina.
In the episode “Chapter Twenty-Three: Heavy Is the Crown” from the third part of Sabrina, the teenage witch and her cousin visit Riverdale in search of a crown that was owned by Benjamin Blossom, an ancestor of Cheryl. On their way, they pass the town sign. On its back, Jughead Jones spray painted the message “JJ Wuz Here,” his signature. Three episodes later, a member of the Southside Serpents is attacked by Hilda Spellman.
Regarding a proper crossover with the cast of characters, Aguirre-Sacasa admitted there was one planned for Part 5 of the series but the show was canceled back in July before fans could see it happen. Ugggh.
THE SHOW WAS SUED BY Satanists
In November 2018, Satanic Temple activists sued the series’ production team over the use of the Statue of Baphomet, which they claim was a direct copy of their own statue and portrayed the Temple in an inaccurate and derogatory way. Temple members were also concerned about the depiction of Satanists as cannibals practicing forced worship. On November 21, 2018, it was confirmed that Satanic Temple and Netflix have amicably settled the lawsuit dispute, with the terms of the deal left undisclosed to the public.
