Nigerian filmmaker Roye Okupe’s series, nominated for multiple NAACP Image Awards, draws on African mythology, family influence, and years of independent world-building as it follows a brave young orphan living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland; produced by Lion Forge Entertainment, the HBO Max and Cartoon Network show has been renewed for a second season, alongside a second feature, both set to arrive later this year.
The first season of Iyanu, the HBO Max superhero animated fantasy series from YouNeek Studios founder Roye Okupe, recently garnered nominations for Outstanding Children's Program and Outstanding Animated Series at the 57th NAACP Image Awards. Okupe and co-creator Brandon Easton were also nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie, Documentary or Special for the prequel feature film, Iyanu: The Age of Wonders. Voting for the awards continues through Saturday, February 7.
Adding to the show’s awards season recognition, Iyanu has been renewed for a second season, as well as a second feature film, Iyanu: The War of Twin Princes, both set to release later this year.
Check out the teaser trailer for Season 2
The Yoruba-inspired story is produced by YouNeek and Lion Forge Entertainment, which adapted Iyanu for television and serves as Executive Producer on the series. The show centers around a teenage orphan girl who discovers she has superpowers. Now available to watch on HBO Max and Cartoon Network, Iyanu has gained Roye and his multiplatform entertainment company national as well as global recognition… with one exception.
“My daughter Ara still doesn’t know I created the show,” says Okupe, laughing. “I'm happy to say that when the show came out, it was her favorite. She wanted to watch it every day. But I don’t think she’s put two and two together. My wife has hinted about it to her, but I don't think she can digest what creating an animated series looks like. So, I think she just thinks her mom is joking around with her. But I'm going to take it as a win because I think once she finds out it’s my show, she’ll want nothing to do with it. I want to keep it from her as long as possible.”
But Okupe actually came up with the idea for Iyanu in honor of Ara in 2019, before she was born, when he and his wife started trying for a family.
“I created Iyanu as a love letter to my then unborn daughter,” shares Okupe. “I had written four or five graphic novels spread across two series by then: ‘E.X.O. – The Legend of Wale Williams,’ which is an Afrofuturist sci-fi action adventure set in Lagos, Nigeria, and ‘Malika: Warrior Queen,’ a fantasy story set in pre-colonial West Africa. So, I was already creating stories like this. But I started thinking, ‘What if I have a baby girl? What would be one thing that we could read together or watch together with characters that she could aspire to?’”
Female empowerment lies at the core of Iyanu; though deeply rooted in African culture and mythology, with the clothing and adornments as well as lush landscapes, the show is heavily influenced by Okupe’s mother and sisters.
“I had three strong women in my life who raised me in different ways,” he shares. “People come to me and they're like, ‘Man, this show is so amazing. You've put female characters in leadership positions.’ But that's what I grew up with. The relationship between Iyanu and her mentor Olori is very much like my relationship with my mom. My mom would do anything for her children. And by anything, I mean absolutely anything. And you get to see that with Olori as well. But like Olori, my mom was no nonsense. She would love you. She would take care of you. She would give you the food off her plate if you finished yours first. She would do anything for you. But the moment you were out of line, she would tell you.”
Okupe adds, “One of our writers, Kerri Grant, also played an instrumental role in bringing in a female's perspective. I've never been a 14-year-old girl. So, there were a lot of things that I didn't know which she brought into the picture.”
But Okupe was a born and raised a Lagos native, and he and other writers would have lengthy conversations about growing up on the African continent. “A lot of times, people group all Africans under one umbrella,” he notes. “A lot of people forget or actually don't know that there are 54 countries in the continent and that Nigeria alone, which is where I was born and raised, has three major tribes. And under those three major tribes, there's about 300 subtribes and dialects. Yoruba is one of the three major tribes, so we were able to create a show that’s not just African, but is something very specific about African culture.”
One of Okupe’s earliest attempts to get an African culture-inspired story out to the public was in 2008, 8 years before starting YouNeek Studios.
“It was my first short film and I'm not going to give the name because it’s terrible and I don't want anybody to Google it on YouTube,” Okupe explains. “Comic books were what gave me my first exposure to the industry as a creator, as a writer, as somebody who wanted to bring these types of stories to a mainstream audience. But that short film was the start of me wanting to create either an animated series or an animated feature. Thanks to God, I've been able to do both now with Iyanu.”
By blending Okupe’s long-time love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman with his heritage, Iyanu has become a testament to the idea that within specificity is universality.
“I think Iyanu exemplifies when you put together those two elements, when you give a project everything that you can and then partner up with people who can take it further than you can alone,” says Okupe. “There are several chants in the show and even moments where a choir is singing in Yoruba language. You may not be able to understand the language, but hopefully the harmony and melody convey the emotions you’re supposed to feel. That was a guiding principle; any time we did something that was culturally specific, we wanted to make sure that at the very least it wasn't exclusive and that it was done in a way where, contextually, the viewer could understand.”
So Okupe wasn’t surprised when Iyanu was well-received. But the experience was still surreal. “I still think back to being a kid in Nigeria in the 80s, in the boom of animated series,” he remembers. “We're talking about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Animated Series and all those shows on Cartoon Network. And I had this very difficult dream that I would someday create something like that. It felt like a pipe dream back then and I still have to pinch myself that now I have a show on a network I was always obsessed with.”
But the realization of Okupe’s dreams was accompanied by a sense of bittersweetness.
“My dad was one of my biggest supporters,” he shares. “He was the one of the first people to really sit me down and say, ‘You have a gift for this.’ I didn't believe I could actually do this for a living. But he did. Then, on the night of Iyanu’s first screening, he passed away. It was heartbreaking. But I truly believe he's still up there guiding me and putting things together. With everything the show’s been able to achieve, I strongly believe that he has somebody up there looking out for me.”
And Okupe’s mom, also one of his strongest supporters, is doing what she can to look out for her son’s project as well. “We just got nominated for an NAACP award and my mom votes every day,” says Okupe. “And she texts me every day to ask me, ‘Have you voted today?’”
Whether or not he wins the prize, Okupe has found a winning formula and hopes to continue making more Iyanu stories as well as stories inspired by, and to inspire, his daughter.
“Every day I wake up feeling lucky to be in this industry,” he says. “It's a privilege people underestimate. Millions of people want to create their own show and, unfortunately, never get the chance to do it. I’m always grateful to get another kick at the can and I just want to do right by the opportunity and be able to say that I gave my best. So, to everyone who watches the show, keep watching. It’s the only way we get to make more stories like this.”
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
