By Michaela Gordoni
Filmmakers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, known for their work on the SPIDER-VERSE movies, will soon bring an Archie Comic movie to life.
They will produce the movie with Aditya Sood under their production company, Lord Miller, Variety reported last week.
Tom King, a comic book writer who’s also working on HBO and DC Studios’ LANTERNS series, will write the screenplay. Emma Watts will also produce alongside publisher Jon Goldwater. Britt Henemuth and Christine Sun will oversee the project for Universal Pictures.
“We are longtime fans of Archie, Veronica, Betty and the gang in all of their iterations,” said Lord and Miller. “When we heard Tom King’s take on the classic material, we instantly thought it made sense as an event movie for all audiences — both lifelong fans and a whole new generation. We’re so excited to bring these beloved characters to the big screen.”
Over 3 billion of Archie Comics have sold in its 85-year history. The comics have been translated in many languages and are read worldwide. One hundred million comics were sold in India in the last 50 years, Deadline reported Wednesday.
PEOPLE reported the movie will be live-action.
Lord and Miller also have two other projects they are currently working on. One is PROJECT HAIL MARY, a science fiction movie with Ryan Gosling that’s based on an Andy Weir novel. It comes out March 20, 2026. The other is SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE, which is expected to release on June 4, 2027, PEOPLE reported.
John L. Goldwater, a comic book publishing company CEO, created the Archie concept. He wanted to make a comic about an everyday kid, rather than a superhero. Bob Montana, a 21-year-old who worked for Goldwater, was Archie’s first cartoonist. Montana used his own sketchbook of his high school life in Haverhill, Massachusetts, from 1936 to 1939 as his inspiration for Riverdale and Archie’s friends.
Archie was inspired by Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Andy Hardy in the 1930s movies. Archie’s pals, Jughead Jones and Moose, were based on Montana’s high school friends, Skinny Linehan and Arnold Daggett.
Goldwater said the Archie comics are successful because Archie is “basically a square, but in my opinion the squares are the backbone of America…[and] strong families.”
Montana illustrated the comics until his death in 1975. He encouraged his four kids to think of plot lines for Archie. They would write suggestions in a box in the kitchen. If Montana liked one, the child who suggested it would get 25 cents, CBC reported.
Universal hasn’t yet announced when the movie will come out, and plot lines are under wraps.
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