Archie Andrew and his friends will now be seen in desi avatar. Zoya Akhtar directs Netflix's film 'The Archies', a live-action musical

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, November 11

Are you an Archie Comics fans? Did you grow up reading the adventures and friendships of Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller and all the other characters of the comic book? If your answer is a yes, this announcement is sure to get you excited.

Zoya Akhtar and Netflix announced their collaboration for a live-action musical film based on the Archie Andrews of the popular comic. Titled ‘The Archies’, the movie will be directed by Zoya Akhtar and it will be set in 1960s India. The Hindi adaptation will be co-produced by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti along with Tiger Baby and Graphic India production houses.

With some comic strip from The Archie, Zoya shared the news on her Instagram. She wrote, “Archie and the Crew are about to get Down and Desi! ‘The Archies’ A coming-of-age musical drama directed by me. Coming soon to Netflix!”

Here’s Zoya’s post.

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A post shared by Zoya Akhtar (@zoieakhtar)

The director cannot contain her excitement about the coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale to a new generation in India. She says, “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.”

Although the makers have not disclosed the cast of the film, some months back it was reported that Zoya will be launching star kids in this spectacular venture. There are rumours that Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s younger daughter Khushi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda will be among those seen in the musical-drama.

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A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

Archie Comics CEO/publisher Jon Goldwater says he is proud that the Archie Comics characters and stories continue to resonate with fans globally, especially in India. Thrilled about partnering with Zoya Akhtar, he says, “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.”