Zoya Akhtar, Netflix India to adapt Archie Comics into a live-action musical adaptation set in 1960s

Archie Comics has been a template for many-a-campus capers and love triangles. We’re not just talking Riverdale here. Even in India, the popular comic book series has been adapted into memorable films, including Karan Johar’s 1998 directorial debut  Kuch Kuch Hota Hai  and Mansoor Khan’s 1992 coming-of-age sports drama Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Now, the Indian entertainment industry will officially adapt Archies, something it has been doing only  out of 'inspiration'  for the last 25 to 30 years.

 Five years ago, Graphic India acquired the rights to adapt Archie Comics. Now, Netflix India has announced that Zoya Akhtar has been roped in to helm the Indian film adaptation. The streamer broke the news on social media with an interesting creative.

Check out the announcement here

The Archies will be produced by Tiger Baby and Graphic India. It will be a live-action musical set in 1960s India.

Talking about this collaboration, 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. “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, added, “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.”

While Akhtar has previously collaborated with Netflix India for her short films in the anthologies Lust Stories (2018) and  _Ghost Stories_  (2020), this is the first time she will be creating long-form content for the streamer. She has previously co-created the popular show  Made in Heaven  for Amazon Prime Video India with Reema Kagti. Season 2 has wrapped up production and is likely to release next year.