Zoya Akhtar and CEO of Archie Comics, Jon Goldwater spoke about the Indian adaptation of The Archies as a part of the Netflix Films Day event.
The Archies film takes place in the 1960s and is set within an Anglo-Indian community in the fictional hill station town called Riverdale. Zoya Akhtar is set to direct the film as well as produce it through her own film and web studio, Tiger Baby, in association with Graphic India and Netflix.
Speaking about the chance to adapt The Archies, Akhtar stated: “This is a surreal experience since Archie Comics was a part of my childhood. It is super exciting to take these beloved characters and introduce them to a new generation but still keep the nostalgia of the original comic alive.”
Touching upon the theme of the film, Jon Goldwater added: “There is a lot of friendship and love, and conflict, and community, and music. Music is such a big part of Archie’s heritage throughout the decades. The 60s were also an important part as we transitioned from what Archie was, to where Archie kind of is now.”
Singer and Music Supervisor of The Archies, Ankur Tewari with the band – The Islanders also presented a live musical showcase of the magical world of The Archies at the event.
The cast of the film includes Mihir Ahuja, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda and Vedang Raina.