Disney's latest series brings Afrofuturism to life in spectacular fashion in Iwájú.
Last Updated: 09.16 AM, Feb 14, 2024
Walt Disney Animation Studios has released the official trailer for the upcoming coming-of-age animated series Iwájú, produced by Kugali Media. Tola, the film's protagonist, is a little girl whose father gives her a robotic lizard, Otin, as a pet. Otin must intervene to prevent her father's nemesis from abducting Tola. Disney+ subscribers may look forward to watching the miniseries on February 28.
Halima Hudson and Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, the director, co-wrote the screenplay for Iwájú. Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan, and Weruche Opia lend their voices to the six-part series. Christina Chen executive produces the show, which also includes production design by Hamid Ibrahim and cultural consulting by Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku.
Check out the trailer below:
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Immerse yourself in a thrilling coming-of-age tale set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. Join the adventures of Tola, a young girl from a privileged island, and her best friend Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they uncover the mysteries and perils that lurk within their own realms. Voiced by the talented Siji Soetan, you'll feel the energy of the island right along with Tola. The filmmakers from Kugali, which include Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku, invite viewers to a one-of-a-kind adventure into the realm of Iwájú, which is brimming with innovative visual aspects and technological developments influenced by Lagos's essence.
As Jennifer Lee stated in December 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Kugali Media will co-produce Iwájú, a new original animated series for Disney+. Since Disney Television Animation produces the majority of Disney's television programs, whether they are original or based on pre-existing intellectual property, this marks the first original animated series from Walt Disney Animation Studios. She gushed over the partnership, calling it a "first-of-its-kind collaboration." Ziki Nelson is the showrunner. In Yoruba, the title of the series, iwájú, means "front-facing" or "the future" in a rough translation.
Ziki Nelson, co-founder of Kugali and director of Iwájú, characterised inequality and class division as the everyday realities of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Furthermore, it will delve into the ways in which these issues impact regular society while also challenging the status quo. Inspiration, or aspiration and desire, to try and engineer society to live in a more positive way. A personal childhood dream of mine to tell my story and that of my people is what the series stands for, according to Ibrahim as well.
The Disney+ Hotstar premiere of Iwájú is scheduled for February 28, 2024.