Acclaimed filmmaker Zoya Akhtar will direct The Archies, an Indian Archie Comics adaptation for Netflix. The streamer is also the international home of Riverdale, a modern-day reimagining of the popular characters from the Archie universe. The news was also revealed via a custom-made comic strip by Dan Parent.
Akhtar has previously directed segments in the Netflix anthology films Lust Stories and Ghost Stories. But she is perhaps best known for the rap drama Gully Boy, which was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2019. She is also the co-creator and co-director of the Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven.
News of her adapting the Archie comics for India—the film is described as a “coming-of-age, live-action musical set in the 1960s”—comes after months of speculation about its cast. It has been suggested that three newcomers with major Bollywood connections—Suhana Khan, daughter of Shah Rukh Khan; Khushi Kapoor, daughter of the late star Sridevi; and Agastya Nanda, grandson of screen icon Amitabh Bachchan—are circling the project, according to Vogue India.
Akhtar will reunite with her longtime creative partner Reema Kagti, who will co-produce via their Tiger Baby banner, along with Sharad Devarajan for Graphic India. She said in a statement:
“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.”
Archie Comics CEO/publisher Jon Goldwater said in a statement:
“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.”
Akhtar is currently working on the second season of Made in Heaven, and was recently announced as a co-producer on Jee Le Zaraa, actor Priyanka Chopra’s Bollywood comeback film, which will also star Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, and will be directed by Farhan Akhtar. The Archies doesn’t have a release date yet, but stay tuned to Collider for more updates, and be sure to check out Akhtar’s Instagram post here!