An 85-Year-Old Comics Universe Is Finally Getting a Movie (With a Batman Writer)

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For many decades, one of the longest-standing comic book universes has never graced the big screen – until now. Over the 21st century, a significant portion of movies have been adaptations from shared superhero universes such as Marvel and DC, delivering hit after hit for nearly three decades. Yet, not all comic book worlds revolve around caped crusaders. Since 1941, one such universe has earned its place on the silver screen, thanks to a prominent writer who’s contributed significantly to the Batman series in recent years.

Universal Pictures, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, announced on Wednesday that they plan to transform the Archie Comics universe into a feature film. Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (known for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), with comic book writer Tom King (Batman, The Vision) penning the script. Although specifics about the project’s storyline are being kept confidential, Lord and Miller have shown great enthusiasm about bringing the Archie Comics to cinematic life.

Spider-Verse Producers Team With Batman Writer on Archie Comics Movie

As a die-hard fan of Archie Comics, I’m thrilled to share that my team and I can hardly contain our excitement about bringing the cherished characters – Archie, Veronica, Betty, and the rest of the gang – to life on the silver screen. When we learned about Tom King’s fresh perspective on the classic material, it immediately felt like a perfect fit for an epic movie event that caters not only to lifelong fans but also welcomes a whole new generation. We can hardly wait to share this journey with you all!

Emma Watts is set to contribute to the project’s creation, following its presentation to Lord and Miller. Alongside her, Jon Goldwater, CEO and publisher of Archie Comics, and Aditya Sood, President of Lord Miller Productions, will also serve as producers on the same project.

Despite not achieving the peak sales of comics published by Marvel Comics and DC Comics, Archie Comics have endured for over eighty-five years, consistently found on grocery store shelves throughout this period. Over the span of its rich history, Archie Comics has managed to sell an impressive 3 billion copies globally.

Archie Andrews and his friends made their debut in issue #22 of Pep Comics, published in 1941. The creative minds behind these characters were John L. Goldwater, Bob Montana, and Vic Bloom. Over the years, these characters have been transformed for various mediums, including television – initially in animation form, followed by a Bollywood musical called The Archies that was available on Netflix. A more notable adaptation in North America is Riverdale, which airs on The CW network, and offers a grittier interpretation of the beloved comics. Initially, Riverdale garnered an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but as seasons progressed, this score gradually decreased, with the sixth season receiving a lower 67% rating.

Miller & Lord garnered recognition primarily as producers on the highly-praised Spider-Verse films produced by Sony. Preceding this, the pair were involved with The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 22 Jump Street, and How I Met Your Mother. On the other hand, King, a comic writer outside his field, is currently working on the upcoming HBO Green Lantern series titled Lanterns, as well as the Supergirl movie for DC Studios, both slated to release in 2026.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/weirdest-episodes-of-riverdale-streaming-explained/embed/#

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2025-08-20 20:18