Netflix, in collaboration with Archie comics, brings a coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale to a new generation in India.
The Archies, a feature film adaptation of the comics will be produced by Tiger Baby and Graphic India and will premiere exclusively on Netflix. A live-action musical set in 1960’s India, the film will be directed by Zoya Akhtar. "Get your milkshakes ready because Archie and the gang are about to get down and desi in ‘The Archies’. A coming-of-age musical drama directed by @zoieakhtar. Coming soon to Netflix! #TheArchiesOnNetflix,” read Netflix's announcement of the film on Instagram.
Earlier, several media reports claimed that the upcoming film will see Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, filmmaker-producer Boney Kapoor's daughter Khushi Kapoor and megastar Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda, making their on-screen debut. Saif Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Ali KHan's name was also in the running. And while reports of the star kids being roped in for film have been doing the round in the media for the last several months, there hasn't been any official announcement confirming the same.
Even as part of the official announcement of the film, the cast wasn't revealed.
Meanwhile, talking about this collaboration, director Zoya Akhtar 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."
"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,” said Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater. He added, "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."
For the unversed, The Archie Comics follow the lives of four friends — Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones, all navigating through teenage life.
