Zoya Akhtar’s takes viewers ‘back in time’ in ‘The Archies’ trailer

PTI, Jun 18, 2023, 10:04 AM IST

It is all about rock n’ roll, friends, love, and more in the first trailer of the Zoya Akhtar-directed ”The Archies”, the live-action musical based on the characters of the popular American comics of the same name.

The upcoming Netflix film is billed as a coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale, the fictional hill station, to a new generation in India, the streamer said.

The 1.16 minute trailer was released at Netflix’s live global event Tudum with an audience of over 10,000 cheering on ground in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on late Saturday night.

”Are you ready to go back in time? Welcome to the Archies,” wrote Akhtar in her post as she shared the trailer of her movie on her official Instagram account.

After the first look, the lead cast was introduced on stage by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan from the popular Netflix series ”Never Have I Ever”.

The cast, including Dot (Ethel Muggs), Agastya Nanda (Archie Andrews), Khushi Kapoor (Betty Cooper), Mihir Ahuja (Jughead Jones), Suhana Khan (Veronica Lodge), Vedang Raina (Reggie Mantle) and Yuvraj Menda (Dilton Doiley) took to the stage of Tudum to perform the song ”Sunoh”.

Akhtar said it is nothing short of ”awesome” to be in Sao Paulo, showing the first look of ”The Archies” at Tudum.

”There are local Brazilian fans and people from across the world virtually tuning in for the show. We are so far away from home and yet receiving the loudest cheers which just reminds us that music, love, and friendship are universal and have no barriers.

”Showcasing the Indian adaptation of the beloved IP, Archies Comics, in Brazil at a Netflix’s Tudum is testament to how global the reach of Netflix is and how stories can come from anywhere and go everywhere. I am extremely excited for audiences to step into Riverdale in the 60s, meet the young Anglo-Indian kids on the block and groove with The Archies gang,” the filmmaker said in a statement.

Set in the year 1964, ”The Archies” is a coming-of-age musical following the lives of Riverdale’s favourite set of teenagers – Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Reggie, Ethel and Dilton. Seen through the lens of the unique Anglo-Indian community, ”The Archies” explores friendship, freedom, love, heartbreak and rebellion.

It marks the acting debut of superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan and Sridevi and film producer Boney Kapoor’s daughter Khushi Kapoor. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda is also making foray into the film industry with the project.

The film is produced by Netflix India, Tiger Baby, Archie Comics and Graphic India.

The streamer has yet to announce the release date of ”The Archies”.