WIRE Buzz: Lucy Hale leading Riverdale spin-off; new Stranger Things book; more

Warner Bros. Television and The CW are expanding the world of Riverdale with a brand-new spin-off series called Katy Keene. The show's titular character is a 20-something New Yorker who aspires to be a fashion designer, and she will join Ashleigh Murray's Josie, who will be moving on to the new series. 

That much we knew, but today they announced that Lucy Hale has been tapped to play Keene in the new show. Hale previously appeared on The CW in the show Life Sentence, as well as the film Truth or Dare. But she's probably best known for appearing in seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars. 

According to the release, Katy Keene "follows the lives and loves of four iconic Archie Comics characters as they chase their twenty-something dreams in New York City." It is described as a "musical dramedy" and will feature characters also trying to make it on Broadway, and as recording artists (Josie, we'd imagine). 

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) will serve as executive producer and writer on the new series, alongside Michael Grassi. Addional executive producers include Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater, the publisher and CEO of Archie Comics. Maggie Kiley will serve as director, as well as executive producer.

With this new formiddable foursome trying to tackle everything from Broadway to the runway, nothing in Riverdale (or New York City) will ever be the same...

For any fans of Stranger Things that are wondering what the life and times of Max (Sadie Sink) entailed before she moved to Hawkins, we have some good news: a new tie-in book to the series called Stranger Things: Runaway Max will tell that very tale. 

The book is written by Brenna Yovanoff, also known for Places No One Knows and Paper Valentine. It is the second book based on past events from the hit Netflix series, with the recent Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds telling the story of exactly what did (and did not) go down with Eleven's mother before the events of the series.  

Published by Penguin Random House, the book will hit the shelves on June 4. 

Former Daredevil showrunner Erik Oleson is jumping to the other side of the stream — he's making the move from Netflix to Amazon. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oleson has signed a mid-seven figure deal with Amazon to "create, develop, and produce original series exclusively for the retailer and streamer." The deal will last for at least two years. This deal comes after what THR calls a "competition" for Oleson's services, as reportedly Netflix was also looking to land him. 

In a statement, Oleson said, "I want to tell the kind of stories that I love: stories that have great characters, thrilling concepts and epic backdrops, but are about something meaningful. Stories which allow an audience to think and feel rewarded for watching." He added, "Amazon is a perfect home for these stories, and I’m psyched to work alongside the entire Amazon Studios team."

This won't be Oleson's first jump in the Amazon — he previously worked as a writer and executive producer on Season 2 of The Man in the High Castle. Aside from the recently dumped Daredevil, his credits also include Arrow and Kings. Incidentally, should any attempt be made to bring Daredevil back any time soon, it would have to do so without him, as this new deal keeps him exclusive to Amazon.