‘Riverdale’ Cast and Crew Back on Set Following Luke Perry’s Death

The cast and crew of Riverdale has returned to set just two days after series star Luke Perry passed away.

Production on the series, currently airing its third season, was temporarily shut down on Monday to allow the cast and crew to mourn the loss of Perry, who was cast as Fred Andrews, Archie’s father, back in 2016. The Blast reports that production on The CW series resumed Wednesday.

Perry, who has starred on the series for three seasons, passed away Monday in a California hospital at the age of 52. His death came just five days after he suffered a “massive stroke” in his home and was transported to the hospital.

Although doctors had placed the actor under heavy sedation to allow his brain to recover from the trauma, he never recovered, and his family made the decision on Monday to take him off life support. Perry was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death, including his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, and ex-wife Minnie Sharp.

“Luke Perry… you were a joyful and vibrant soul,” the Riverdale writers room tweeted after news of Perry’s passing broke. “You will be missed but most certainly your legacy will be remembered forever. Rest in love and peace, friend. [Riverdale].”

Series executive producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and Jon Goldwater, Warner Bros. Television, and the CW added in a joint statement that they were “deeply saddened to learn” of his passing. “Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all.”

In the wake of his death, the teen drama has announced that all future episodes will be dedicated in Perry’s honor, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa revealed, adding that the actor will appear in Wednesday night’s episode, “Fire Walk With Me.”

“Going through pictures on my way to set,” Aguirre-Sacasa tweeted Wednesday morning. “From the early days. With Luke in the middle. Our heart, always. Tonight’s episode of [Riverdale] finds Fred doing what he does best–helping Archie. It is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run.”

The full extent of the series’ dedication to Perry is not yet known.

An official synopsis for Wednesday night’s episode, which will mark Perry’s 44th episode in the series, states that “the Farm sets their sights on someone in Betty’s inner circle; Veronica sets a plan to turn the tables on Hiram and Gladys in motion; Jughead struggles to maintain control over the Serpents.”

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.