Zoya Akhtar to Direct The Archies Film for Netflix

An Indian adaptation of the Archie comics is in the works for Netflix, with Zoya Akhtar tapped to direct the live-action musical film set in the 1960s from Tiger Baby and Graphic India.

“I am super excited to have the chance to bring The Archies to life,” said Akhtar. “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 and 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 of films and licensing at Netflix India, added, “The characters, adventures and friendships in Archie 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 Archie to fans and our members in India and around the world.”