Confirmed! Zoya Akhtar to recreate the world of The Archies for Netflix, to direct the live-action musical

By Tanmayi Savadi

on November 11, 2021 09:41:59 AM

In March this year, PeepingMoon.com exclusively broke the news that Zoya Akhtar is working on the Hindi adaptation of the popular American teenage comic character Archie for Netflix. Reportedly, young actors and even newbies will be roped in to play the roles of Archie and his gang of friends Reggie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Moose, Midge, Dilton, Big Ethel, Mr. Lodge, Miss Grundy, Pop Tate, Mr. Weatherbee, Smithers the butler, Stevens the janitor, and other fictional characters of Riverdale High School.

Now, Zoya and Netflix finally announced the feature film adaptation of Archie comics produced by Tiger Baby and Graphic India. It will be a live-action musical set in 1960s India. Talking about this collaboration, Zoya said, “I am super excited to have the chance to bring The Archies to life. It was a large part of my childhood and teenage years. The characters are iconic and globally loved, which is also why I am a little nervous. I have to make sure the film stokes the nostalgia of a generation that grew up on the comic and yet resonates with the young adults today.”

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Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater added, “It's a huge source of pride that the Archie Comics characters and stories resonate with fans globally, and especially in India, for more than 50 years. We are thrilled to partner with Netflix and trust Zoya Akhtar and her creative team to deliver a truly unique and exciting take on Archie and friends through the lens of Indian cinema. We know that these characters have global appeal and translating them into other settings and cultures is just the start of what we have planned for future multimedia adaptations.”

Pratiksha Rao, Director, Films and Licensing, Netflix India, shared, “The characters, adventures and friendships in Archies have found fans across the world for generations. With Archie Comics, Graphic India and Tiger Baby, we have an extraordinary opportunity to recreate the world of Archie comics, this time as a live-action musical. Zoya has an incredible and unique ability to make stories and the characters in them relatable, making them feel like they are an extension of our own self. We are thrilled to partner with her in bringing to life the world of Archies to fans and our members in India and around the world.”

Produced by Zoya and Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby Films along with Sharad Devarajan's Graphic India and Archie Comics, the cast of The Archies is yet to be announced.

(Source: Agencies)