Spider‑Verse Duo Reboot Riverdale — Phil Lord & Chris Miller Tap Tom King to Write New Archie Movie
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are producing a new Archie movie written by Tom King, the companies announced in a report from The Wrap. Tom King previously wrote the 2024 Archie one-shot The Decision, and Lord and Miller said they see King’s take as the basis for a broad audience event.
- Who’s involved: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and writer Tom King.
- What’s known: a new Archie movie is planned, but its format (animated or live-action) hasn’t been confirmed.
- Context: Archie’s TV and international adaptations have kept the brand visible, while the comics face distribution and format changes.
- Sources: announcement reported by The Wrap and industry coverage at The Beat.
Who’s involved
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will produce the project, with Tom King writing. Lord and Miller are known for animation and comedy work, including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, and the animated films Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. Most recently they directed the 2026 film Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling.
“We are longtime fans of Archie, Veronica, Betty and the gang in all of their iterations,” Lord and Miller said in a statement to The Wrap. “When we heard Tom King’s take on the classic material, we instantly thought it made sense as an event movie for all audiences — both lifelong fans and a whole new generation. We’re so excited to bring these beloved characters to the big screen.”
What we know about the movie
According to the report, Lord and Miller will produce and King will write. However, the announcement did not specify whether the film will be animated or live-action. In short, the creative team is in place, but key production details remain unconfirmed.
Archie’s recent context
Archie has had visible adaptations in recent years. For example, The CW’s Riverdale series ended in 2023. Additionally, Netflix released a Hindi-language musical version of Archie, which shows the property’s global elasticity.
Meanwhile, the comics themselves face challenges. Changes to digest formats and distribution have made it harder to find regular issues on shelves. For more on that transition, see Heidi MacDonald’s reporting at The Beat about the evolution of Archie’s formats and the distribution outlook:
https://www.comicsbeat.com/archie-comics-classic-digest-format-gets-a-shake-up/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/more-on-the-end-of-archie-comics-digests/
Market context
The wider film and comics market shows that a successful screen adaptation can raise public interest in older properties. For instance, industry reports have noted that Marvel movies coincided with stronger comics sales in recent years:
https://www.comicsbeat.com/report-comics-sales-were-up-in-2024-periodicals-hit-15-year-high
Why this matters
In short, Lord and Miller taking on Archie is a notable bet: they have a track record of turning less-obvious IP into successful projects, and Tom King brings recent Archie writing experience. For Archie as a brand, a high-profile movie could increase visibility and potentially influence how the comics are released or promoted going forward.
