Archie and the Riverdale crew are not only headed for Broadway -- they're also getting a musical treatment courtesy of Adam McKay, writer/director of Anchorman.
McKay is teaming up with comedy website Funny or Die -- which McKay founded with frequent collaborator Will Ferrell -- to bring the Archie comics to the stage.
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This wouldn't be the first time Archie has been brought to life. The comics have spawned several animated series, including The Archie Show, The New Archies, and Archie's Weird Mysteries. They also got a partial live-action treatment in 1970's Archie's Funhouse, a TV special in which Archie appeared in a theater front of live-action kids to perform bits and gags.
McKay, who was a former head writer at Saturday Night Live and who co-wrote the screenplays for Anchorman and Ant-Man, will most assuredly infuse Archie with a distinct brand of comedy.
"Archie represents a bygone era of America, and like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone," McKay said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "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, added, "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."
The news comes just a month after Archie and his friends received a new hipster makeover. Wonder which iteration the stage musical will follow?
The musical is set for a run in New York and, hopefully, an eventual Broadway debut. There's no cast yet -- meaning the floor's wide open to concoct your own dream casting. (Paging Ed Sheeran.)