09 November,2023 11:24 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The Archies trailer
The highly-anticipated The Archies trailer was launched today on YouTube. It is a musical film directed by Zoya Akhtar. The Netflix venture is an official adaptation of the Archie Comics. The Archies marks the debut of Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda and Khushi Kapoor. The film also stars Dot, Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda.
The Archies trailer opens the gate to Riverdale. High school heartthrob Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda) has a special bond with Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor) and Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan). The gang also includes Ethel Muggs (Dot), Jughead Jones (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina) and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda). They're happy in their safe zone, with music being one of the key recreational activities.
However, their lives turn upside down when the future of Riverdale is threatened by developers who plan to destroy the beloved Green Park. Veronica's father is one of the key members of the development team. The Archies delves deeper into the lives of the teenagers who take up the responsibility of saving their land and community.
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At the Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest 2023, Zoya said she wanted to cast newcomers for The Archies. She shared, "We were clear that we wanted newcomers because they are such iconic characters and getting anybody who is already very well-known would bring their baggage onto it or their image onto it, good or bad. Also, they (characters) are 17-year-old in the film, so we needed kids that were teenagers."
The filmmaker spoke about adapting Archie Comics and recalled the moment she received a call for the film. "I didn't know what I wanted to do next, they got 'Archies' to me, which is one of our favourite comics, I grew up on this. I was like, 'How can I take this, retain its essence and make it from India?' "Since it's a global IP, I need to be able to take something from here and do it in a language that retains its original essence and speaks to kids today. We were excited about that. We have done whatever we wanted to and now we are getting scared, as always," she added. Kagti, who has penned the screenplay of "The Archies", said the challenge was to do justice to the world of comics and its characters. "The challenge was to take an IP that may not be so relevant today and make it relevant, and also be true to each of the characters and the world of 'Archies'. It is an American IP that we are adapting in India and I hope we have done justice," she shared.
The Archies releases on December 7 on Netflix.