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

One of the longest-running comic book universes in history is finally headed to the big screen. The cinematic cultural landscape of the 21st century thus far has been dominated by adaptations of shared superhero universes. Multiple iterations of the Marvel Comics Universe and the DC Comics universe have produced blockbuster after blockbuster for the past two-and-a-half decades. However, there do exist comic book universes that aren’t all about brightly-colored heroes and villains, and one that has been around since 1941 is making its way into theaters with the help of one of the major Batman writers of the past several years.

Universal Pictures (via The Hollywood Reporter) revealed on Wednesday that is set to adapt the Archie Comics universe into a film. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) are producing, and comic book writer Tom King (Batman, The Vision) is writing. Plot details for the project are being kept under wraps, but Lord and Miller expressed their excitement about bringing the Archie Comics to life on the big screen.

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

In a statement to the press, Lord and Miller revealed they are longtime fans of the Archie comics, and that they can’t wait to introduce a new generation to the classic characters. They also expressed excitement over King’s take on the cast. “We are longtime fans of Archie, Veronica, Betty and the gang in all of their iterations. 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.”

Emma Watts will help to produce the project after bringing it to Lord and Miller. Also serving as producers on the project are Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater and Aditya Sood, the president of Lord Miller Productions.

While the Archie comics have never quite reached the sales highs of titles by Marvel Comics and DC Comics, the comics have remained strong for over eighty-five years, remaining a staple in grocery stores for decades. Over the course of its long history, Archie Comics has sold over 3 billion copies worldwide.

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Archie Andrews and the gang were first introduced in 1941’s Pep Comics #22. John L. Goldwater, Bob Montana, and Vic Bloom created the characters, which have been adapted to television, originally in animation, which then spawned a recent Bollywood musical, The Archies, that streamed on Netflix. The better known adaptation in North America is The CW’s Riverdale, which offered a much darker take on the beloved comic, and ran for seven seasons on the network. The show started off with a “Fresh” rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes only to see its rating declins e with each new installment, with the sixth season earning a less-than-great 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Miller & Lord are best known for serving as producers on the critically acclaimed Spider-Verse films for Sony. Prior to that, the duo worked on The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 22 Jump Street, and How I Met Your Mother. As for King, outside of comics, the writer has worked on the upcoming HBO Green Lantern series, Lanterns, and Supergirl movie for DC Studios, both of which are expected to debut in 2026.

What do you think of the upcoming Archie Comics movie? Let us know in the comments.