If you have seen the trailer and teaser images leading up to the release of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, then you know audiences are in for a lot of lush and stunning horror visuals. Well, it turns out the comic-based series got a helping hand in creating some of the haunting imagery that punctuates its heroine's surroundings. The revelation involves a specific set piece and its ornamentations, specifically the art adorning the walls of the Academy of the Unseen Arts, which come form the private collection of works from legendary horror author and filmmaker Clive Barker.
The Academy of the Unseen Arts will was the temporary home to over 150 paintings crafted by Books of Blood author Clive Barker. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's production designer Lisa Soper revealed to io9 that Barker had actually contributed most of the artwork that can be seen in the mystical school, sharing that the man behind Hellraiser and Candyman was enthusiastic to contribute his pieces, going so far as to let her spend a weekend looking through his artwork and picking out what she wanted. Wondering how big the set must be to see all of Barker's works?
That turns out to be more simple and complex than one would expect. The set actually isn't all that big, since the schoolrooms are all shaped identically, so Clive Barker's works will be featured within a single interchangeable set-piece that stands in for whatever room of the Academy characters are supposed to be occupying. Different rooms mean different sets of Barker's artworks popping up, an added touch will undoubtedly provide a reason worth pausing the show to take a closer look at. Whether it potentially clues viewers into the story's dark twists or not, one will have to watch carefully to discover.
The spooky imagery being brought in does not mean necessarily mean any of it hints at something specific to the story. Clive Barker's works will undoubtedly lend an disturbingly penetrating backdrop for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, with the illustrations setting it closer to its horror comic roots. Barker does know a thing or two about supernatural evil, after all. And it's flourishes such as these that serve a subconscious and pivotal role in enriching the series' visual pedigree. Based on early glimpses, the show will be leaning into its genre precursors.
Fans are drawing ever closer to the premiere of the highly-anticipated new series, which will be a drastic change of pace from what viewers saw of the eponymous character in Melissa Joan Hart's sitcom. They do not have to much longer to wait before they get a complete look at Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the artwork that pervades the Academy of the Unseen Arts. The mysterious Dean of said academy has been glimpsed before in previously released images, hinting at an ominous show set to cast a spell on viewers.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will premiere just in time for Halloween, with the first season available to watch in its entirety starting on October 26 on Netflix. The supernatural drama will be joined by countless other shows making their debut before the end of the year on the streaming giant, including a fellow horror series. And tune into our fall TV premiere schedule to see what else is on the way soon.
