Well, it may not be the comic book adaptation you've been waiting for, but it's certainly the most unexpected. Warner Bros. has closed the deal to adapt the long-running comic Archie into a live-action movie. The catch? It's Archie vs. Zombies. Based on the series by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the comic follows Archie and the gang, while living in a zombie apocalypse of suburban New York. Director Jason Moore (PITCH PERFECT) has been hired to direct the pic, which seems rather fitting. There aren't many details in terms of the film adaptation other than that, but the comic series was born of the idea of "genre mixing," based on conversations Aguirre-Sacasa had with Archie creator/publisher John L. Goldwater.
"‘What if the Archie characters found themselves in a Stephen King novel like The Stand or a Sam Raimi movie like The Evil Dead? Could we pull that off, tonally? We’re really going for it. The first arc is called ‘Escape from Riverdale’. The second arc is called, brace yourself, ‘Betty RIP’.”
Aguirre-Sacasa says "the gore will be balanced with “elements that are quintessentially Archie." No word on a release date or casting, as this is still developing, but expect all those details to fill in quickly. It all sounds very SHAUN OF THE DEAD to me, but who knows, it could work. Along with this and the slowly moving adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, it seems like the genre is getting a little out of control.
What do you think? Is the world ready for Archie and Zombies?