The TV adaptation of Archie Comics, Riverdale, ran for 137 episodes on The CW from 2017 to 2023. Now, Universal Pictures believes there are more Archie stories to explore on the big screen.
The studio has a film in development with Tom King adapting the 85-year-old comic, while Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and former 20th Century Studios executive Emma Watts are set to produce.
King, who wrote the DC comic ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’, which has been adapted into a Craig Gillespie-directed movie set for release next summer, is also a writer and executive producer on HBO/DC Studios’ upcoming Lanterns series.
While plot details remain under wraps, Archie comics follow the high school adventures of the charming Archie and his main love interests, Veronica and Betty. While Riverdale took a darker, Twin Peaks-style approach, the film promises a fresh take for a wide audience.
Universal previously attempted a feature with the Archie characters in Josie and the Pussycats (2001), which grossed under $15 million domestically.
Archie Comics have sold over three billion copies worldwide and are published in dozens of languages. The brand has also achieved significant success in music, with over 20 million copies of the hit single ‘Sugar, Sugar’ sold.
Its social media presence exceeds three million followers across platforms. Archie Comics are popular in countries including India, the Philippines, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Australia, and the UAE, with over 100 million comics sold in India over the past 50 years.
In total, more than four billion Archie books have been read globally, offering a generational, shared reading experience.