Movies

Nigerian Superhero Series ‘Iyanu’ Set to Air on Cartoon Network

Posted on by The Editor
By Samantha Ofole-Prince​
The countdown begins for Roye Okupe’s animated series, ​which is finally set to air in April.
Set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, “Iyanu” follows an orphan who ​uses her superpowers to save her people from an ancient curse​ and is adapted from Okupe’s graphic novel series “Iyanu: Child of Wonder​.”
​Serah Johnson leads the all-African voice cast as Iyanu​ and is joined by​ Okey Jude, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Stella Damasus, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Shaffy Bello.
​The s​e​ries is helmed by Roye Okupe​, who was born and raised in Nigeria and ​also serves as Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner.
 
Drawing on Nigerian culture, music, and mythology, the animated series follows Iyanu​ and her friends Biyi, Toye, and a magical leopard named Ekun​ as they set off a hero’s quest.
“It has been a hero’s journey for Roye and the team to bring this ambitious and stunning series to Cartoon Network and Max. This April, we all get to benefit from years of their effort and enter the super unique world they have created, filled with magic, mysterious enemies and divine powers,” shares Michael Ouweleen, President of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.
“Iyanu” is set to premiere on Cartoon Network on Saturday, April 5, with streaming available on Max the following day. Showmax has set its launch date for June 13, when the entire first season of “Iyanu” will be available across 44 African countries.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” Features a Star Studded Cast 

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By Samantha Ofole-Prince

From​ Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to Thuso Mbedu, Keith David ​to Kelvin Harrison Jr., “Mufasa: The Lion King” features an impressive lineup of talent.

Originally brought to life by the iconic James Earl Jones in 1994’s animated film and then again for the 2019 version, this latest offering honors and enriches the original film’s legacy.

Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, “Mufasa: The Lion King” captures the richness of Africa’s landscape  and features vocal performances by South African producer and composer Lebo M.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 09: Blue Ivy Carter attends the world premiere of Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 09, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

Directed by Oscar Winner Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”), the story is told in flashbacks and introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub who meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion a journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny as they work together to evade a deadly foe.

Other cast members include Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Tiffany Boone (Sarabi), Kagiso Lediga (Young Rafiki), Preston Nyman (Zazu), Blue Ivy Carter (Kiara), John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), Anika Noni Rose (Afia),  Braelyn Rankins (Mufasa Cub), Theo Somolu (Taka Cub), and Folake Olowofoyeku (Amara).

With flashbacks, the film shares an insight into Mufasa’s childhood, his adolescence and the formative experiences that contributed to his moral compass.

“I saw this film as an opportunity to really ground Mufasa—to show that this guy was not born perfect,” shared Jenkins at the film’s world premiere of the film at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.  “He was not born wealthy. He was not born entitled. He was just someone with a family who lost that family. Then faith and fortune and luck gave him a new family that he learned from and built with. He wasn’t given a damn thing—he earned all of it through learning, through being one with his environment, through caring for others.”

“Mufasa: The Lion King” opens in U.S. theaters on Dec. 20, 2024.

Photos: Alberto E. Rodriguez & Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Storm Saulter Partner for “Inheritance”

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By Samantha Ofole-Prince
One is an award-winning Jamaican director known for projects “Better Mus’ Come,” and “Sprinter.” The other is an award-winning Afro-British actress who has starred in high profile movies such as “Belle,” “Beyond the Lights,” and “Concussion” opposite Will Smith.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Storm Saulter are slated to work together in a five-part series titled “Inheritance,” according to Deadline.
Directed by Saulter, Jonny Lee Miller (“Covenant”), Sheldon Shepherd (“Better Must Come”), and Bel Powley (“A Small Light”) will also star in the series which follows Claudia (Mbatha-Raw), an ambitious young bi-racial lawyer, who embarks on a journey to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim filed by an unknown local resident, Cudjoe East (Shepherd), against Oliver Connaught (Lee-Miller), a wealthy white aristocrat. The quest takes an unexpected turn when the contested estate reveals the ominous house that has haunted her nightmares: the Connaught family’s Jamaican plantation, Hope Hill. As Claudia and Oliver investigate, they uncover a chilling connection between historical horrors and present-day injustices.
Karla Crome wrote the novella, which explores themes of racial conflict, judicial drama, and the complications of historical reckoning.
The synopsis reads: “Inheritance” is an ambitious genre-bending series that boldly confronts the enduring legacy of colonialism, marrying shadowy intrigue with the pulsating energy of the Caribbean.
Saulter, who won the Best Director award at the Pan-African Film Festival (PAFF) for the political Jamaican drama “Better Mus’ Come” and PAFF’s Best Narrative Feature for “Sprinter,” a Jamaican drama about a high-school kid with aspirations to become a first-class world athlete, has a strong fascination for historical films.
“The Caribbean is the most exciting place in the world to be making films right now. There are so many untold stories, which is an ideal environment for storytellers,” shares Saulter.

“Inheritance” begins filming in the UK and Jamaica this month.

Serah Johnson​, Okey Jude​ Headline Voice Cast for Nigerian​ Animated Series​ “Iyanu”

Posted on by The Editor
By Samantha Ofole-Prince
Serah Johnson and Okey Jude are set to headline the voice cast for “Iyanu,” the upcoming superhero animated series.
“Iyanu” is an adaptation of Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios’ popular graphic novel series “Iyanu: Child of Wonder” by award-winning Nigerian creator and producer Roye Okupe.

Johnson will voice Iyanu, a teenage heroine with no recollection of her past, who suddenly discovers that she has abilities that rival the ancient deities of her people. Known for her voiceover work within the animation industry and audiobooks, she is the first Nigerian and African to win the Society of Voice Arts Award (SOVAS) for Outstanding Animation Character – Film or TV – Best African VoiceOver for her work on “Moji.”
Okey Jude (“Hotel Labamba,” “The Governor’s Daughter”) will voice Biyi, Iyanu’s carefree adventurer friend.
Joining Johnson and Jude in the voice cast are Samuel Kugbiyi (“Tafiya Lafiya: The Journey,” ) as Iyanu’s bookworm friend Toye, African Movie Academy Awards winner  Adesua Etomi-Wellington (“King of Boys,” “Gangs of Lagos”), Blossom Chukwujekwu (“Falling,” “Stolen Lives”), Stella Damasus (“Gone”), Shaffy Bello (“The Score,” “Battleground”) and Ike Ononye (“Doc Martin,” “The Lovers”).
“Iyanu” is a superhero tale set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, which draws from Nigerian culture, music and mythology. Drawing deeply from the rich tapestry of Yoruba people, the animated series follows a teenage orphan girl, Iyanu, who spends her days studying history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers, Biyi and Toye, as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll uncover the truth about her past, her parents, and her ultimate destiny to save the world.

I Made Up My Mind to Become an Actor at 16 – Jimmy Akingbola

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By Samantha Ofole-Prince
Versatile and quite talented, Jimmy Akingbola plays Geoffrey in “Bel-Air,” the remake of the hit ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which starred Will Smith, and has built an impressive resume with several projects that include “Arrow,” the award-winning television series “Ted Lasso,” “Rise” and “Hero: The Extraordinary Life of Mr. Ulric Cross.”
The British thespian, who is of Nigerian descent, was one of several actors, who shared his journey to Hollywood at AAFCA’s annual event Spotlighting Black British Actors in America.
Akingbola, who made his American debut on the television show “Arrow,” had hopes of pursuing a career in sports but sought a career on the screen when he caught the acting bug as a teenager.
“I watched a lot of American films and television and was inspired by what I saw and did a one man monologue stand up show,” he shares. “People laughed and I got a standing ovation and at 16 I decided I wanted to become an actor.”
It was a long road for the Akingbola who worked several odd jobs including a job as an usher to pay his way through drama school before landing his first project.
Despite a successful acting career in the U.K., he was inspired to move to America by actors such as Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba and Emmon Walker and the slew of other Brits who were carving out careers in Hollywood.
“It was a risk as I had to start from scratch,” admits the actor. “It wasn’t paved with gold and I had to be humble.”
Akingbola, who cites actor Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”) as an inspiration, also runs the Triforce Creative Network which provides opportunities for actors, writers, directors and producers.
Established in 2003, the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is America’s largest organization of black film critics.