Warner Bros. announces plans to make a ‘live action’ film of the classic Archie Comics By: Alexandra Hollen Warner Bros. CEO Jon Goldwater has announced plans to bring Archie and the gang to the big screen. It will be written for the screen by ‘Glee’ writer and noted comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and directed by ‘Pitch Perfect’ director Jason Moore. They are aiming to transform the more modern Archie comics away from solely being a grocery store checkout business and into a more modern media company. Since Goldwater stepped into the role of CEO at Warner Bros. in 2009 he has put forth some major plans for Archie, including an expansion into digital, headline grabbing stories involving Kevin Keller, and a foray into the cosmetics world, with an exclusive collection at MAC. Goldwater told Comic Book Resources that this has all been leading up to Archie and the gang heading towards Hollywood, “Ultimately, that was where the company was going to go. Marvel laid out the model translating their comic book IP…into brilliant films. The model was there and I had that vision for Archie, big time.” However, don’t expect some hackneyed Hollywood blockbuster filled with B-list stars that is destined to fail. Goldwater and the rest of the creative team are committed to bringing Archie to the big screen with dignity, “The creative team we have on this is stellar, and I want to take a very active role in the creative direction of the movie without a doubt. The time we’ve taken to assemble this creative team…makes me feel very comfortable that where we’re going with the Archie movie is going to translate the comic book page to the screen. We’re all like-minded in our vision…we believe so much in the IP and the integrity of out characters.” As for the vision that they have for the film, Goldwater told CBR “Our vision creatively is a very John Hughes-ian Archie film. In the spirit of “Ferris Bueller” and “Sixteen Candles.” We are going to embrace his genius and hopefully make our own move that’s unique, interesting, and fun with its own flavor. That’s the vision we have for the movie.” Fun fact: John Hughes was actually an Archie fan and was inspired by some of the beloved characters’ history.
86 Nationalistmag.com