Bengaluru-based animation company Graphic India is all set to co-produce Zoya Akhtar’s live-action musical film is based on Archie Comics character Archie Andrews and will be set in 1960s India.
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.
Directed by Akhtar, The Archies, a feature film adaptation of the comics will be produced by Akhtar and Reema Kagti for Tiger Baby and Sharad Devarajan for Graphic India and will premiere exclusively on Netflix.
Graphic India has recently released the first-ever Indian animated Hotstar Specials series The legend of Hanuman season one and two on Disney+ Hotstar. Devarajan is also well known for his work in creating Indian superhero project Chakra: The Invincible, in collaboration with Stan Lee.
Talking about this collaboration, director 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.”
Archie Comics CEO/publisher Jon Goldwater said, “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.”
Netflix India director, films and licensing Pratiksha Rao, 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. 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.”
