'The Archies': Zoya Akhtar begins shoot for comic-inspired film
After a long wait and a lot of speculations, the team for the upcoming movie The Archies has begun production. Directed and produced by Zoya Akhtar, the Hindi musical movie is inspired by the evergreen Archie Comic books. It will be a Netflix film. Taking to social media, the official handle of Netflix India shared the news on Monday. It may release in 2023.
Why does this story matter?
Akhtar had announced the project, focused on the lives of a bunch of teenagers, last year. This is interesting because streaming giant Netflix already is home to a quite popular show, CW's Riverdale, based on the comics. Also, fans of the books would surely love to see how the stories fit Indian landscape. Newcomer Vedang Raina is touted to play Archie's best friend, Jughead.
Shooting began earlier on Monday
The announcement was made by sharing an image of a clapboard. Dated April 18, the clapboard displayed that the first take of The Archies was taken earlier on Monday. Aside from Akhtar, Reema Kagti will be producing the youth-centric flick. Nikos Andritsakis will be the director of photography (DoP). However, the primary cast is perhaps the most attractive element of the production.
Check out the update here
Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda are lead stars
The Archies will mark the debut of three star kids, namely Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda. While actor Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana is going to play Veronica Lodge, producer Bonny Kapoor's daughter Khushi will be Betty Cooper. Meanwhile, Shweta Bachchan and businessman Nikhil Nanda's son Agastya will play the role of Archie Andrews. Most likely, a love triangle is in store.
Is the shooting taking place in Ooty?
While no shooting location was revealed in the official post, reports have suggested the production will be taking place in Ooty. "The filming will take place for the next 40 days in Ooty and areas surrounding the hill station," a source had told a portal earlier this month. Only the primary cast and "core members of the team" were reported to fly from Mumbai.