‘Iwájú’ is the first African animated series on Disney transports viewers to futuristic Lagos
When Hamid Ibrahim, the co-founder of African entertainment company ‘Kugali’, claimed in a press interview that his business would “kick Disney’s ass,” he never imagined he’d end up collaborating with the media giant.
But thanks to that comment, Disney reached out to him and the other Kugali co-founders, Ziki Nelson and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku, about developing a project together and so “Iwájú” was born.
“After the interview when I went home, I was like, ‘I shouldn’t have worded it like that, I should have been a bit nicer the way I worded it’, but thank God, I did not word it nicer,” says Ibrahim.
“Iwájú” is a show set in a futuristic Nigeria and tackles important themes, such as pay disparity.
While being “a love story to Lagos,” it doesn’t shy away from its negative side. “There are certain harsher truths or realities that exist in modern-day Lagos that were important to reflect,” says director Ziki Nelson.
There were also some challenges creating an African story with an American company.
“There were definitely clashes of culture that manifested in differences of opinions when we were building and crafting the story. But I like to believe that ultimately because we’re different, both Disney and Kugali, we both bring different things to the table. And ‘Iwájú’ as a series is a reflection of the strengths of what we both brought to the table,” explains Nelson.
Also, part of the “Iwájú” team is visual effect supervisor Marlon West, known for working in beloved Disney movies such as “The Lion King”, “Frozen” and “Moana”.
“When I saw what they were trying to do, the science fiction aspects of it, that it was set in Africa, that it was this crime story, it was this Afrobeat music. And I was like, it just checked all these boxes for me as a creative person. And it was something that Disney had never done before to make a long-form series, to collaborate with a different studio. So, I knew I had to be part of it,” says West.
“Iwájú” marks the first African story from Disney, and the show’s cultural consultant, Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku, explains the significance of this moment.
“Children are very imaginative and absorb a lot from what they see. It’s not like I have one thing in particular that I want them to see or take away. There’s no agenda per se. It’s just, hey, I grew up watching anime. I grew up watching American cartoons. I knew about cities I’d never been to. And, I picked up on Japanese phrases. I just absorbed a lot from the things I consumed and I feel like I’m just doing the same thing.”
“Iwájú” was expected to be available to stream on Disney+ from February 28, 2024.
The Disappointment
After months of anticipation, Iwájú, the animated limited series helmed by Kugali Studios and Disney Animation, will be premiering on Disney+ on February 28. The six-episode show follows the adventures of the wide-eyed, privileged Tola and her poorer best friend Kole.
Operating in 107 countries across 12 territories, Disney+ will be taking Iwájú to a wide audience across North America, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific, and many other territories. However, for a show that centers on a Nigerian story, Iwájú will not be immediately available to watch in Nigeria because Disney+ isn’t available in the country. This has already caused grumbles on social media from Nigerians who are disappointed that a sci-fi show set in Lagos, Nigeria can’t be watched on demand locally.
Currently, Disney+ is available on the continent only in South Africa and four countries in North Africa. There is no news about upcoming expansion plans for Disney+ into Nigeria and more African countries, which means Iwájú won’t be available on-demand in most of Sub-Saharan Africa in the near future. However, there’s an alternative that will enable Nigerians and more Africans to watch the show.
Iwájú was expected to air on the Disney Channel on DSTV (Channel 303) in two-week stretches between late April and early May. In the week of April 22, a new episode was to air daily until April 26, while there was to be a special marathon on Saturday, April 27. In the following week, there was to be a repeat broadcast of the six episodes from April 29 to May 4, and a second special marathon on Sunday, May 5. There will also be a special stream on Africa Day on May 25, which will feature Iwájú.
The times for these airings on DSTV have yet to be shared; updates will be shared as soon as we get more details.
Thematically layered, Iwájú touches on financial class relations, the scourge of kidnapping, familial bonds, childlike curiosity, and more. Set in a futuristic version of Lagos, the distinct cultural and visual hallmarks of the commercial capital of Nigeria are deeply embedded in the series. Its voice cast consists of Nigerian actors, including Nollywood veteran Femi Branch as the villain Bode, and newcomers Simisola Gbadamosi and Siji Soetan as Tola and Kole, respectively.
Source: www.africanews.com , www.okayafrica.com ,
