Disney has announced African animation studio, Kugali’s science fiction series, Iwájú will premiere globally on Disney+ in 2022.
Founded in 2017 by Tolu Olowofoyeku, Hamid Ibrahim, and Fikayo Adeola, friends from Nigeria and Uganda, Kugali was established as a pan-African creative company.
Their comic book collection was born out of a desire to tell modern African stories. Now with Disney+ taking the series up, it would reach a much wider audience.
Iwájú, loosely translates to “the future” in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa, is set in Lagos and will explore a number of “thematic concerns from class and innocence to challenging the status quo.” The creators see it as an opportunity for Disney to tell a modern and authentic African story to the world using the entertainment behemoth’s animation and distribution prowess.
Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee said at Disney’s Investor Day, “Their talents blew us away. I’m proud to announce the first of its kind collaboration to bring animation original series along with Kugali to Disney+.”
Though Disney has had huge success with Africa-influenced stories including Marvel’s Black Panther and The Lion King, it didn’t have a record of working with African creatives until lately. In September, Disney Studios partnered with Nigeria’s FilmOne Entertainment to distribute Disney-owned films in English-speaking West Africa.
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Africa’s animation film sector is growing rapidly with young talented animators and local collaborators creating new content, mostly shorts and features. This month Nigeria’s first animated full-length feature film Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters was released.
Netflix, its streaming rival, is ahead in the race in working with African creative artists in Nigeria’s Nollywood and South Africa’s TV and film industry. It has become increasingly influential on the continent as it launches original shows produced by local talent, producers and executives including Queen Sono, Blood and Water and movies including Lionheart. Last year, Netflix partnered with Cape Town-based animation studio, Triggerfish for a new series called Mama K’s Team 4, the story of an all girl-team of African spies, who also happen to be four normal Zambian teens by day.
