Archie Comics will be teaming with Graphic India to develop a live-action Bollywood style film featuring the company’s classic characters. Notably, this will be the first international comic to be adapted for an Indian movie. Up until this point, the only Archie Comics characters given the feature film treatment have been Josie and the Pussycats.
The company has been going through a bit of a renaissance over the last few years, breathing new life into their beloved characters. In 2015, the comics were given a smart reboot that updated Archie and his pals for a new generation of readers. Following that, Riverdale has been a massive success since premiering on The CW in January of last year - there might even be spinoffs on the way. Archie Comics also announced that they would be doing a Netflix series based on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, to air in 2018. The characters have even crossed over into the DC Universe. It would appear that the next step is making history by translating the comics for Indian screens.
According to Variety, this project is in the early stages and does not yet have an official release date. They have also reported that Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater is extremely excited about the project and his sentiments are shared by Sharad Devarajan, co-founder and CEO of Graphic India. Devarajan stated:
“Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead have been a source of inspiration for numerous Bollywood films over the years, and now it’s time to take them fully into Bollywood in an exciting new twist of a story that we have planned. These characters have held a special place in the hearts of Indians for decades and we have no doubt that the new Indian cast of Archie and the gang will be an exciting moment for the country.”
The film will see everyone’s favorite characters, including Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead, among others, all portrayed by Indian actors. First introduced in 1941, Archie still retains an incredibly devoted fanbase around the world. The comics have been published in more than 55 different countries in over 17 languages. An international reimagining seems like a logical progression.
Despite remaining largely unchanged for most of his existence, Archie and the other inhabitants of Riverdale have connected with people from across the globe, with the comics selling over two billion copies. All these recent developments made to the Archie brand have only served to widen the appeal of these timeless characters. The company may have been in stasis for a while, but Archie Comics now shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Considering that music has long played an integral role in the Archie Comics, Bollywood seems like a natural form for this film to take. If you think about it, a musical is really the perfect way to tell this story. In fact, there is a musical episode of Riverdale currently set to air April 18th. Only time will tell, but we’d be willing to bet that the Bollywood soundtrack will put those songs to shame.
More: Riverdale Musical Episode Will Not Include Jughead Singing
Source: Variety
