Breaking Information – HBO Max, Cartoon Community, and Lion Forge Animation Energy Up African Teen Superhero Journey "Iyanu: Little one of Marvel" | TheFutonCritic.com – The Futon Critic
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HBO Max, Cartoon Community, and Lion Forge Animation Energy Up African Teen Superhero Journey “Iyanu: Little one of Marvel”
New Coming-of-Age Animated Collection Primarily based on Acclaimed Graphic Novel from Nigerian Creator Roye Okupe and Illustrator Godwin Akpan
Brandon Easton Hooked up as Head Author 
July 11, 2022 – Burbank, CA – HBO Max, Cartoon Community, and Lion Forge Animation introduced immediately plans to adapt the favored Darkish Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel collection, Iyanu: Little one of Marvel, right into a 2D youngsters’s animated collection. Created by Nigerian filmmaker Roye Okupe, Iyanu: Little one of Marvel is an epic superhero story steeped in Nigeria’s wealthy tradition, music, and mythology. The collection follows a teenage heroine who should uncover the thriller behind her newfound powers to avoid wasting her folks from an historic curse threatening to destroy humanity.
David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation (Academy Award(R)-winning Hair Love), a number one Black-owned animation studio acknowledged for creating and introducing genuine content material specializing in underrepresented teams to worldwide audiences, is financing and overseeing manufacturing.
Brandon Easton (Transformers: Warfare for Cybertron: Seige, Marvel’s Agent Carter) is heading the writers’ room, with Roye Okupe serving as the manager producer, author, and director on a number of episodes. Lion Forge Animation’s Head of Manufacturing, two-time Emmy(R) winner Saxton Moore (Rise Up, Sing Out), will function supervising director.
Govt producers are David Steward II and Matt Heath from Lion Forge Animation, Erica Dupuis of Influence X Capital, Ryan Haidarian of Forefront Media Group, Doug Schwalbe, and Carl Reed.
Closely influenced by the historical past and achievements of the Yoruba folks of Nigeria, Iyanu: Little one of Marvel is about within the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. The collection follows a teenage orphan lady, Iyanu, who spends her days learning Yoruba historical past and historic arts however yearns for a standard life. In the future, responding to hazard, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which haven’t been seen because the Age of Wonders. With newly found superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two different youngsters as they embark on a exceptional journey to find the reality in regards to the evil lurking in her homeland. All through her journey, she’ll uncover the reality about her previous, her dad and mom, and her final future to avoid wasting the world.
Amy Friedman, head of children & household programming, Warner Bros., mentioned: “Iyanu: Little one of Marvel has all of it – huge world-building, genuine characters, a powerful, African feminine hero on the middle, and a first-class group of stellar creators and producers. Whereas created for youths, the collection will resonate with anybody on the lookout for an journey crammed with shock, magic, lore, and legend. We really feel so fortunate to be the house of Iyanu and partnering with this group.”
Lion Forge Animation Founder David Steward II mentioned, “The authenticity of the Iyanu story means every part to us and aligns completely with our mission to create and ship inclusive content material to world audiences. A robust technique of engaging in and sustaining that is by means of franchise constructing, and the depth and layers of the Iyanu world enable us to discover and create a lovely universe on display alongside great companions.”
“After I got down to create Iyanu for a worldwide viewers, I needed to develop a world that mixed every part I like in regards to the fantasy style with the majesty and awe that’s historic West Africa,” mentioned Roye Okupe. “On high of that, working with Godwin Akpan, who illustrated the books, as our Artwork Director and collaborating with a considerate studio-like Lion Forge Animation that prioritizes authenticity and variety, is past perception.”
Brandon Easton commented, “As a former public college instructor within the Bronx and Harlem, I spent a few years with Black, Latino, and Asian teenagers and noticed what they gravitated towards. They cherished anime, manga, and issues alongside these traces, however all of them lamented that not one of the characters seemed like them. So after I was employed to adapt Roye’s wonderful Iyanu graphic novel, I needed the story to mirror Roye’s authentic imaginative and prescient whereas additionally injecting a way of satisfaction and surprise for all youngsters worldwide, however particularly for youths who not often see themselves mirrored in a constructive mild or in any respect. Iyanu has additionally modified the best way I see myself as a creator – with the superior duty to inform an unprecedented story to a worldwide viewers that showcases the humanity of African youngsters.”
Saxton Moore provides, “Iyanu will usher in a brand new style of animation across the African diaspora, and Lion Forge Animation is tremendous excited to be part of it. We hope to empower little adventurous ladies across the globe with Iyanu’s story.”
Lion Forge Animation is represented by Activist Artists Administration. Roye Okupe is represented by UTA & Redefine Leisure.
About Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a number one world media and leisure firm that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and full portfolio of content material and types throughout tv, movie and streaming. Obtainable in additional than 220 international locations and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery conjures up, informs and entertains audiences worldwide by means of its iconic manufacturers and merchandise together with: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Meals Community, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Community, TNT, TBS, truTV, Journey Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Photos, Warner Bros. Tv, Warner Bros. Video games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Community, Grownup Swim, Turner Traditional Films, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For extra data, please go to www.wbd.com.
About Lion Forge Animation
Lion Forge Animation (LFA) is a number one Black-owned, full-service animation studio that sources, acquires, develops, and produces genuine various content material for world distribution. Based in 2019, LFA is a self-financed versatile platform with a longtime content material library. LFA is well-positioned and uniquely outfitted to create, drive, and ship real, various tales to satisfy rising viewers demand fuelled by broad-based content material consumption and social forces.
Lion Forge Animation continues to increase its IP portfolio with the event and manufacturing of TV collection and have movies. Upcoming initiatives embrace a Hair Love spinoff collection (Younger Love) for HBO Max; an animated collection primarily based on Cedella Marley’s image guide Marley and the Household Band; the animated collection Heiress with BRON; Rise Up, Sing Out, govt produced by Grammy-winning artists Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, for Disney; a number of initiatives with Think about Children + Household together with Chippy Hood, First Step, and Bugtron; an animated collection primarily based on Josef Bastian’s a number of award-winning “Excerpts from an Unknown Guidebook” guide collection; and a slate of initiatives introducing the groundbreaking life and legacy of Wendell Scott, the primary Black race automobile driver and group proprietor to win a race at NASCAR’s highest degree.
Lion Forge Animation sits inside Steward II’s holding firm Polarity, a diversified world media firm with a mission to convey genuine content material to a various world viewers. To create a richer content material expertise and providing, the corporate believes within the worth of embracing range and highlighting beforehand unheard voices, in addition to new and rising views and voices. The Polarity portfolio contains Illustrated Syndicate and Magnetic Press, in addition to Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group.
David Steward II has been placing sources behind his imaginative and prescient of increasing the marketplace for inclusive content material to new age teams and demographics because the early 2010s, constructing a portfolio of titles and imprints that function characters and creators from all kinds of backgrounds comparable to African People, Hispanics, members of the LGBTQ+ group. He is prolonged that imaginative and prescient and ethic to the bigger media panorama with a company that may orchestrate content material improvement, manufacturing, financing and distribution throughout totally different channels.
Discover out extra at: www.lionforgeanimation.com
About Darkish Horse
Based in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Darkish Horse Comics is a superb instance of how integrity and innovation might help broaden a singular storytelling medium and remodel an organization with humble beginnings into an business large. Over time, Darkish Horse has revealed the work of artistic legends comparable to Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Religion Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Kentaro Miura, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Approach. As well as, Darkish Horse has a protracted custom of building thrilling new artistic expertise all through all of its divisions. The corporate has additionally set the business customary for high quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and artwork books, together with Stranger Issues, Avatar: The Final Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Tremendous Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Sport of Thrones, Mass Impact, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. In the present day, Darkish Horse Comics is without doubt one of the world’s main leisure publishers.
About YouNeek Studios
YouNeek Studios is an award-winning multiplatform leisure firm based by Roye Okupe. Utilizing graphic novels, animation, video video games, and different types of media, YouNeek focuses on telling extraordinary tales about extraordinary characters impressed by African historical past, tradition, and mythology, with the final word aim of empowering African creatives and storytelling throughout the globe. Go to www.youneekstudios.com for extra.
About Influence X Capital
Influence X Capital is a double backside line VC, based to assist various and underrepresented expertise within the digital and know-how, media and leisure area. The Studio’s purpose is to extend range and inclusion by means of improvement of daring and distinctive storytelling with from African diaspora creatives. Our content material strikes worldwide audiences from appropriation to appreciation whereas giving company to creators of colour. The founders embrace Sir Lenny Henry and Tony successful actor Adrian Leicester; creator and TV presenter Eric Collins and Govt Producer Erica Dupuis, a former HBO govt. www.impactxcapital.com