Iwájú, Disney's first animation collaboration with an outside studio in 100 years, has revealed its first trailer and a February 28 Disney+ release date for all episodes of the limited series.
Iwájú is set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, and tells a coming-of-age story that follows "Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds."
The trailer, which you can see below, shows a world filled with incredible tech "inspired by the spirit of Lagos" and one adorable lizard named Otin. This special lizard, who is at least partially robotic in origin, is seen in the trailer with some pretty powerful abilities.
The series comes from both Disney and Pan-African Comic Book Entertainment Company Kugali, and the team includes director Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, production designer Hamid Ibrahim, and cultural consultant Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku. The series is produced by Disney Animation’s Christina Chen with a screenplay by Adeola and Halima Hudson. The voice cast includes Simisola Gbadamosi (Tola), Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan (Kole), and Weruche Opia.
Iwájú's soundtrack, which will be available on March 1, features authentic African-influenced music and is brought to us by Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga.
“I rarely bring my own emotions into writing a score,” Olunuga said. “I tend to inhabit the emotions of the characters or subjects and then translate them into music. In this case, it couldn’t be avoided. In addition to Tola's adventurous spirit, Kole’s ingenuity and the many other fun and beautiful emotional threads explored in ‘Iwájú’—the score is steeped in my own very deep love for Lagos and its multiplicitous layers.
"It also includes many treats and winks for anyone familiar with or curious about the film music lexicon of Nollywood. Being invited by Ziki and the amazing teams at Disney and Kugali to help tell this beautiful coming-of-age story that explores themes of family, friendship and ingenuity has been an amazing adventure in itself.”
There will also be new mobile game inspired by the series launching on February 28 called Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef, and it will "explore authentic African delicacies through [a] fast-paced and accessible cooking game that celebrates the culture and cuisine of Nigeria." The game is being developed by Maliyo Games in collaboration with Disney and Kugali.
For more from the world of Disney, check out our chat with Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot on inventing lightsabers and inspiring Black inventors and the news that Tiana's Bayou Adventure will be opening at Disney World in Summer 2024.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
