Netflix announced the official cast for its upcoming musical drama, The Archies.
Set in the 1960s in India, The Archies will premiere exclusively on Netflix and feature an ensemble cast of newcomers, Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda and Vedang Raina, who will presumably be playing iconic characters from Archie Comics like Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead. Netflix also released a short video as well, introducing each actor to the upcoming film.
The Archies was announced in November 2021 and will be directed by Zoya Akhtar, who will also write the film alongside Reema Kagti and Ayesha Devitre. Produced by Tiger Baby Films, The Archies is a collaboration between Archie Comics and Graphic India, and will bring the classic band to India in a story that, per the description, is "bursting with youth, rebellion, friendships, first loves and everything young adult." As a live-action musical drama, The Archies also features a music track by Ankur Tiwari and the Islanders.
"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," Ahktar shared in a written statement when The Archies was announced. "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."
The Archies is based on the beloved Archie Comics, which were first published in 1941, created by publisher John Goldwater, artist Bob Montana with writer Vic Bloom. "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," Archie Comics CEO and Publisher Jon Goldwater said about The Archies.
"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," he continued. "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."
No further plot details have been revealed regarding The Archies, which does not yet have a release date, but will be available exclusively on Netflix sometime in 2023.
Source: Netflix