Jughead and Archie heading to India to be a Bollywood film

NEW YORK – Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica are getting very far away from Riverdale. They’re going to Bollywood.

Archie Comics and Graphic India say they’re teaming up to create a Bollywood-style live-action film that reimagines the American suburban perpetual teens as Indian characters.

The companies are touting the film as the first international comic to be translated for Indian screens. No release date was announced.

Graphic India leader Sharad Devarajan says Archie comics have long been embraced by Indians and “now it’s time to take them fully into Bollywood in an exciting new twist of a story.”

The freckle-faced Archie first appeared in comic form in 1941 and went on to become an icon of wholesomeness. The characters are currently part of The CW’s series “Riverdale.”