Archie Is Coming To Broadway With A Musical From Adam McKay (Really)

So here's a sentence I can almost guarantee you didn't know you were going to be reading today: There's a Broadway musical based on Archie in the works, written and co-produced by Adam McKay and Funny Or Die. And before you ask, no, you are not dreaming, and yes, this is actually happening.

Archie Comics announced the collaboration today, along with the reveal of ArchieTheMusical.com, and while there's no information there (aside from some great Bob Montana art from the old Archie newspaper strip), they have confirmed one of the most important questions that I think we all have: Yes, Jughead will be in it, presumably singing 2017's first Tony Award-winning song about how much he loves hamburgers.

While the actual existence of an Archie musical isn't that surprising, McKay's presence as writer is certainly an unexpected move. He's best known for his frequent collaborations with Will Ferrelll (who, incidentally, would make a pretty great Hiram Lodge), including writing and directing movies like Anchorman and Step Brothers. His involvement suggests this might be a different kind of comedy than we're used to from Archie, but it's an interesting direction.

Here's the official word from the press release:

Writer/Director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, You're Welcome America) and Funny Or Die have joined forces with Archie Comics, one of the most popular comics ever produced, to bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale gang to Broadway in an all-new musical. McKay is slated to bring his singular brand of comedy to the musical, writing the book for the show, with a creative team and timing for a New York run to be announced at a later date.

Funny Or Die will serve as a presenting partner. CEO Jon Goldwater and CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee for Archie Comics. The partnership was packaged by Triptyk Studios (An American in Paris, You’re Welcome America, Xanadu) who will reteam with their You’re Welcome America partners for the endeavor. Tara Smith, B. Swibel and Adam Westbrook will oversee development for the company and present on Broadway.