Netflix Unveils December Release Date for Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies Movie

The musical drama is set in the swinging 1960s in India, following the iconic comic characters as they explore friendships, youth, and more.

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by Ali Pardiwala | Updated: 29 August 2023 13:31 IST

Netflix Unveils December Release Date for Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies Movie

Photo Credit: Netflix

The cast of Netflix's The Archies

Highlights

Zoya Akhtar states that the adaptation is set in the Anglo-Indian communi
Filming on The Archies movie wrapped up in December 2022
Netflix has put up a billboard with a countdown timer for the premiere

The Archies, the coming-of-age musical from Zoya Akhtar, just got a release date. The film is slated to drop December 7 on Netflix, drawing inspiration from the globally-loved Archie Comics characters and putting an Anglo-Indian spin on it. As part of the reveal, the cast got together at Mumbai's Western Express Highway to pose next to a billboard with a timer that counts down the days to its premiere. Filming on The Archies wrapped up in December last year, with Akhtar credited as the co-writer alongside Ayesha Devitre (Gehraiyaan) and Reema Kagti (Made in Heaven).

Akhtar reimagines the fictional town of Riverdale through an Anglo-Indian lens, setting it at a hill station in the swinging 1960s, as the film follows the lives of Archie and friends navigating friendship, heartbreak, rebellion, school protests, dance parties, and more. A teaser from the Netflix Tudum event showed instances of rock ‘n' roll, which didn't sit well with the local audience who found the adaptation to be heavily influenced by Western media. Even the cast and costume design were initially criticised for not seeming accurate to India in 1964. The director addressed those sentiments by simply noting that ‘it's fictional' and stressing that it's focused on the Anglo-Indian community. The Archies movie marks the fourth live-action universe project stripped from the comics, following The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Katy Keene, and the recently-ended Riverdale.

Hamari kahaani ka countdown shuru ho chuka hai 🙌
This is a daily reminder that The Archies arrive on December 7th.#100DaysToGo ✨ pic.twitter.com/xb5EhgHKbe
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) August 29, 2023

Netflix's The Archies stars Agastya Nanda as the charming Archie Andrews, torn between his feelings for Betty and Veronica. It is worth mentioning that because of the Anglo-Indian spin, some — or maybe all — of the characters might have different names when compared to the original comic book series. Khushi Kapoor plays the kind-hearted Betty, while Suhana Khan portrays the rich and pompous Veronica Lodge. Filling out the lineup are Vedang Raina as the self-obsessed Reggie Mantle, Aditi ‘Dot' Saigal as Riverdale's up-and-coming hair stylist Ethel Muggs, and Mihir Ahuja as the appetite-driven Jughead Jones. Oddly enough, his signature crown-shaped cap from the comics has been replaced with a flat cap, reminiscent of Peaky Blinders.

Akhtar is co-producing The Archies movie via her own Tiger Baby Films banner, with Sharad Devarajan's Graphics India. Earlier this month, the filmmaker dropped the second season of Made in Heaven on Amazon Prime Video, with our favourite wedding planners played by Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur returning to orchestrate another slew of big fat Indian weddings. The new chapter is largely focused on a female perspective, with key points of conflict being abuse, mistrust, and divorce. All seven episodes of Made in Heaven season 2 are now up for streaming on the platform.

The Archies movie is out December 7 on Netflix.

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The Archies

Release Date 7 December 2023
Language Hindi
Genre Comedy, Musical, Romance
Cast
Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda, Vedang Raina
Director
Zoya Akhtar
Producer
Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar, Sharad Devarajan

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