Phil Lord and Chris Miller Join Universal's ARCHIE Movie; AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE Disney+ Series Also in Development
Looks like Archie Andrews is stepping back into the spotlight in a big way. After wrapping up a wild seven-season run on Riverdale, the beloved comic book character is now at the center of not one, but two ambitious projects. One's a feature film at Universal Studios, and the other is a supernatural series brewing at Disney+.
According to The InSneider, a new Archie movie is currently in development at Universal. The project has some strong talent attached, with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse masterminds Phil Lord and Chris Miller producing alongside Emma Watts and Jon Goldwater. The script is being written by Tom King, best known for his work on Supergirl.
“Sources say the film will be inspired, in part, by the comic book Archie: The Married Life, which presents Archie with two alternate futures — one in which he marries girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and one where he marries sexy heiress Veronica Lodge.”
Originally created in 1941 by John L. Goldwater, Bob Montana, and Vic Bloom, Archie has been a mainstay in pop culture for decades. But this new movie seems poised to explore more mature, emotionally complex territory compared to the teen soap opera vibes of Riverdale.
On top of that, a separate live-action series titled Afterlife with Archie is also in development, with plans to bring the spooky side of Riverdale to Disney+. The show will be a collaboration between Disney Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television Studios.
The comic, launched in 2013, dives into darker territory than your typical Archie fare. “When Jughead’s beloved pet Hot Dog is killed in a hit and run, Jughead turns to the only person he knows who can help bring back his furry best friend—Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
“Using dark, forbidden magic, Sabrina is successful, and Hot Dog returns to the land of the living. But he’s not the same… and soon, the darkness he brings back with him from beyond the grave begins to spread, forcing Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the gang to try to escape from Riverdale!”
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who served as showrunner on Riverdale and also wrote the Afterlife with Archie comic, will be back as showrunner for the series. Sneider adds that the show will be developed over the next year "with the goal of getting it greenlit by next summer."
It looks like the Archie universe is about to offer something for everyone. Stay tuned, Riverdale fans.