- Universal is developing a live-action movie based on Archie Comics, which previously inspired Riverdale.
- Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 Jump Street) are producing the film.
- Comics veteran Tom King (Mr. Miracle, Lanterns) is penning the script for the movie.
Archie is going Hollywood…again.
Universal announced that it is developing a live-action movie based on Archie Comics. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Aditya Sood — who previously collaborated on films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the upcoming Project Hail Mary — are producing the film alongside Emma Watts and Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater.
The project has enlisted comics veteran Tom King, known for his work on DC titles like Mr. Miracle and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, to write the screenplay for the film. This won’t be King’s first foray into screenwriting, though, as he’s adapting DC’s Green Lantern comics for the upcoming HBO series Lanterns, and will also serve as showrunner on an animated series inspired by his Mr. Miracle comics.
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Lord and Miller, who together helmed hits like The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, shared their enthusiasm for the project in a statement.
“We are longtime fans of Archie, Veronica, Betty, and the gang in all of their iterations,” the filmmaking duo said. “When we heard Tom King’s take on the classic material, we instantly thought it made sense as an event movie for all audiences — both lifelong fans and a whole new generation. We’re so excited to bring these beloved characters to the big screen.”
Mild-mannered high schooler Archie Andrews made his comics debut in Pep Comics in 1941, and earned his own title, Archie Comics, which launched in 1942. Between his friendship with the oafish Jughead Jones and his love triangle with his classmates Betty and Veronica, Archie’s goofy antics inspired over 70 years of comics, with his main series concluding in 2020, not to mention countless spinoffs.
Archie and his pals have inspired a number of screen adaptations, beginning with several cartoon series in the 1960s and ’70s. The characters also appeared in a pair of live-action TV specials in the ’70s, as well as a TV movie in 1990. Additionally, supporting characters like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats received a live-action TV series and a live-action theatrical movie, respectively.
Dean Buscher/The CW
Of course, modern audiences now recognize Archie and his friends from the CW’s Riverdale, the moody teen drama that amped up the franchise’s melodrama and sex appeal. The show starred KJ Apa as Archie, Lili Reinhart as Betty, Camila Mendes as Veronica, and Cole Sprouse as Jughead. It ran for 137 episodes across seven seasons before wrapping in 2023.
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Just after Riverdale concluded, Netflix premiered The Archies, a Hindi-language movie-musical adaptation of the comics. The film moved the action to an Anglo-Indian community in 1960s India, and starred Agastya Nanda as Archie, Khushi Kapoor as Betty, Suhana Khan as Veronica, and Mihir Ahuja as Jughead.
