At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the crew behind Disney and Kugali's upcoming sci-fi series Iwájú discussed how the Afrofuturist cartoon stands out from the traditional Disney style.

Details about the plot and characters for Iwájú, which was announced at Disney's Investors Day in December and is now expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2023, are still under wraps, though it will focus on class divides in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria. No footage was screened, though Annecy attendees got the chance to see selections of concept art centered on the show's futuristic architecture and technology. The panel will be available to view for Annecy pass holders through June 19.

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Jennifer Lee, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation, said that working with the international team at the African studio Kugali has been eye-opening to the team at Disney: "Working with Ziki [Nelson, director], Tolu [Olowofoyeku, Kugali founder] and Hamid [Ibraham, production designer], it’s making us better storytellers at Disney. They have made us see storytelling in a different way."

Iwájú is Disney Animation's first collaboration with another studio. This is something Lee wants to do more of in the future to further diversify the types of stories being told by Disney and to "help the world hear" the voices of other artists.

In terms of the visual style of the series, Hamid Ibrahim said "It’s not gonna look like a normal animation" from Disney, joking that there are no "princesses running around Nigeria."

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Ziki Nelson elaborated, saying, "If you’re familiar with some of the work we published at Kugali, some of the more unique comics that we’ve put forth… they’ve created new styles based on both Eastern and Western art styles, but found African art styles that fit into that aesthetic to create new art styles you can’t find anywhere else." Looking at Kugali's comics work and noting Olowofeyeku first started the company as an otaku-centric podcast, it's fair to assume those "Eastern" influences include anime.

Marlon West, a visual effects director at Walt Disney Animation currently working on Iwájú as well as the upcoming musical Encanto, said that, as different as Iwájú is going to be from the traditional Disney style, it will match the studio's high artistic standards. He says, "It may not look like a Disney film, but it has to look Disney-quality."

Iwájú will premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

Source: Annecy