There were reports that Zoya Akhtar will be adapting the Archie comics into a film for a digital platform. Now, on Thursday (11), it was official announced that Akhtar will be directing The Archies, a musical drama, for Netflix.
Netflix India took to Twitter to make an announcement about it. They tweeted, “Checked the papers yet? We have some Archie khabar for you! The gang is about to get down and desi in “The Archies”. A coming-of-age musical drama directed by #ZoyaAkhtar. Coming soon to Netflix! #TheArchiesOnNetflix @kagtireema @tigerbabyfilms @ArchieComics @GraphicIndia.”
According to PTI, while talking about the movie, 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.”
CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater of Archie Comics said, "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 of Films and Licensing at Netflix India, said, "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.”
It will be interesting to see which actors will be roped in for the movie.