“Iwájú,” a new animated series on Disney+, is unlike anything else on the service. And really, it’s unlike anything in the history of Disney Animation – a collaborative project between Walt Disney Animation Studios, Kugali Media and Cinesite (a long-running visual effects and animation studio headquartered in England). A truly global affair, “Iwájú” imagines a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, where a 10-year-old finds herself embroiled in a high-stakes, technologically advanced tug-of-war.
And it all started with some good, old-fashioned trash talk.
Hamid Ibrahim, cocreator of “Iwájú” and the project’s production designer, said in 2019 that Kugali wanted to “kick Disney’s ass.” But Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios (and director of “Frozen”), wasn’t offended — she was intrigued. In 2020, “Iwájú” was announced as the first original series from Walt Disney Animation Studios, made in collaboration with Kugali.
After the public call-out, “a very, very organic and...
And it all started with some good, old-fashioned trash talk.
Hamid Ibrahim, cocreator of “Iwájú” and the project’s production designer, said in 2019 that Kugali wanted to “kick Disney’s ass.” But Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios (and director of “Frozen”), wasn’t offended — she was intrigued. In 2020, “Iwájú” was announced as the first original series from Walt Disney Animation Studios, made in collaboration with Kugali.
After the public call-out, “a very, very organic and...
- 3/11/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
“Iwájú,” Disney Animation’s sci-fi long-form series about a futuristic Lagos (currently streaming on Disney+ and coming to The Disney Channel April 22), is a far cry from such culturally diverse features as “Moana,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and “Encanto.” This is a Nigerian series — Disney’s first-ever outside collaboration of this kind — told from the Black team at Kugali Media, the U.K.-based Pan-African media company, voiced by Nigerian actors, and with a score from Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga.
“Iwájú” (which loosely means “the future” in Yoruba) began as a Kugali comic book anthology. Kugali co-founders Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Tolu Olowofoyeku let it be known in an interview they had their sights set on animation and were determined to “kick Disney’s arse in Africa.” This came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, Jennifer Lee, who was so impressed with the...
“Iwájú” (which loosely means “the future” in Yoruba) began as a Kugali comic book anthology. Kugali co-founders Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Tolu Olowofoyeku let it be known in an interview they had their sights set on animation and were determined to “kick Disney’s arse in Africa.” This came to the attention of Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, Jennifer Lee, who was so impressed with the...
- 3/4/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
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