Iyanu is hyping New York Comic Con visitors and fans. The trailer debuted during the panel “IYANU: Lion Forge Brings African Fantasy to Cartoon Network.” And fans won’t have to wait long to be immersed in the magical story of Iyanu. The show is marked for a Spring 2025 release window.
Lion Forge Entertainment is producing the animated series adapted from Roye Okupe’s popular graphic novel series Iyanu: Child of Wonder (YouNeek Studios and Dark Horse Comics). Okupe also serves as the executive producer and showrunner. Paula Gammon Wilson is the voice and casting director, with Darnell Johnson as the episodic director and Brandon Easton as the story editor and writer. All four were on a Saturday panel at NYCC ‘2419 to talk about the series and present the trailer.
Iyanu draws on Nigerian culture, music, and mythology. The full synopsis can be read below:
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.
Serah Johnson will voice the titular character. Okey Jude voices Biyi, Iyanu’s carefree adventurer friend, while Samuel Kugbiyi voices Iyanu’s bookworm companion, Toye. Adesua Etomi-Wellington voices Olori and Blossom Chukwujekwu voices Toye’s father, Kanfo. Stella Damasus voices Sewa and rounding out the cast are Shaffy Bello as Emi (The One Mother) and Ike Ononye voices Elder Alapani.
Iyanu is scheduled to premiere sometime in Spring 2025 on Cartoon Network and Max for viewers in the U.S. It will stream exclusively on Showmax across 44 African countries.
Stay tuned for more NYCC ’24 coverage from The Beat.
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