The ‘Katy Keene’ Trailer Is So Much Brighter Than ‘Riverdale’ Has Ever Been

The Riverdale universe is about to get bigger, which is great news for Archie Comics fans like myself. CW is introducing a new show to its lineup in 2020, and unlike some other shows in the Archie-verse, this one's going to be a lot brighter. The trailer for Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene is an inspiring New York City dream that will replace "Gryphons and Gargoyles" in shady, dilapidated buildings with colorful fashion and upbeat music in high-rises and concert halls.

Katy Keene, which is set to star Lucy Hale and Ashleigh Murray, who plays Josie on Riverdale, is about four friends — fashion enthusiast Katy Keene, singer Josie McCoy, performer Jorge Lopez, and "it girl" Pepper Smith — chasing their dreams in New York City. Even the description is lighter than Riverdale's, which at this point just basically means it is sunnier than "murder, conspiracy theories, cults, and unexplained deaths." Katy Keene will join The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in expanding the Riverdale universe out across several shows.

The two-minute, 57-second Katy Keene trailer gives fans a glimpse into what the Katy Keene world will look like, and it feels a lot more like a rom-com than Riverdale does. The trailer starts off with Keene talking about her family history and where her love for fashion came from. It then transitions into a whirlwind of character introductions, plot explanations, conflict points, and inspirational quotes like, "watching her pursue her own dream, it reminded me I should be doing the same thing," and "it doesn't matter what your day job is. This is where you need to be."

For those wondering if there will be a Katy Keene/Riverdale crossover, the answer is: probably. At a San Diego Comic Con panel, Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told fans that there will likely be a cross-over, even if it doesn't perfectly fit into either show's timeline since Katy Keene will be set several years ahead of Riverdale. He said, "I will say that most likely, we will be doing a crossover - even though it breaks the space-time continuum, we probably will be doing a Katy Keene/Riverdale crossover."

Some of you might also be wondering how Josie gets from Riverdale to New York City. In one of the final episodes of Riverdale Season 3, Josie got a visit from her dad who asked her to join his tour right away. Viewers then saw Josie share this news with Archie, her then-boyfriend, whom she told, "Your life is here in Riverdale and mine is somewhere out there, who knows where? Maybe New York." Seems like Josie's hunch was right, because partway through the Katy Keene trailer, viewers see Josie sitting on a sidewalk with some suitcases, looking like she's freshly arrived and ready to leave behind the Black Hood and the Sisters of Quiet Mercy once and for all!

Though Katy Keene takes place in the same universe as Riverdale, Josie will be the only character who moves into the second show, giving actress Murray brand new motives and space for her character to grow. Let the countdown to 2020 begin!