Archie is coming to Broadway
Clocking in as perhaps the strangest news of the week, writer/director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Ant-Man) and Funny Or Die have announced they are joining forces with Archie Comics to bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale gang to Broadway in an all-new musical. McKay will write the book for the show with an unnamed creative team and timing for a New York run to be announced at a later date.
Adam McKay said, “Archie represents a bygone era of America. And like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone. This will be a musical that deals with both those realities in a bright, colorful and slightly demented way.”
Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics CEO/Publisher, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Adam McKay and Funny Or Die to finally bring Archie to the stage. We’ve always thought that Archie was destined to be a big Broadway star – and now that moment has come! I’ve long admired Adam’s work and the pairing of Archie’s world with his brilliant humor and sensibility is the perfect fit. We look forward to developing this project together with this incredible team.”
Funny Or Die will serve as a presenting partner. CEO Jon Goldwater and CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee for Archie Comics. The partnership was packaged by Triptyk Studios who will reteam with their You’re Welcome America partners for the endeavor. Tara Smith, B. Swibel and Adam Westbrook will oversee development for the company and present on Broadway.
This news follows the previous announcement that an Archie-inspired TV series, called “Riverdale,” is in development at The CW. The series is described as exploring “the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.” A feature film was also previously in development at Warner Bros. though no news of it has been announced since 2013.
