The ‘Hair Love’ producers, along with Black Women Animate Studios, have begun recruiting a diverse group of artists for pre-production of LFE’s upcoming Nigerian animated fantasy series.
Lion Forge Entertainment (LFE), producers behind the Academy Award-winning Hair Love, has shared with AWN that it is teaming up with Taylor K. Shaw’s Black Women Animate Studios (BWA) to advance a shared mission of fostering diversity and representation in front of and behind the camera in the animation industry. BWA will work with LFE’s Atlanta-based production studio to recruit a diverse pool of talent for pre-production roles on the Nigerian 2D animated fantasy series Iyanu based on the graphic novels by Roye Okupe. The show will debut on Cartoon Network and Max.
LFE Founder and CEO David Steward II leads the partnership to expand access and opportunities for Black and POC animators to train the next generation of creators and producers.
“Lion Forge stands for diverse stories, authentically told,” said Steward II. “BWA is one of the organizations leading the effort to open up this industry to new voices and new creators, and we are thrilled to join forces with them to provide under-represented talent with the platform they deserve. Together, we will redefine the boundaries of storytelling and inspire a new generation of diverse voices in animation.”
The partnership strengthens LFE’s presence in Atlanta's entertainment hub, reinforcing its reputation as a leading Black-owned studio known for empowering underrepresented communities through storytelling. The studio recently expanded its production slate to include live-action in addition to animation.
"We are thrilled to embark on this talent pipeline partnership with Lion Forge Animation,” shared Shaw. “We are coming together to hire and train diverse talent for their upcoming series and will continue our efforts through an ongoing equity strategy that will be announced later this year.”
With a background in original IP development, BWA Studios has gained a reputation for innovative, efficient solutions to design, animation, and advisory services for commercial and long-form entertainment. Its production and programming span all platforms. The studio is also known for promoting and driving equity in the animation industry by intentionally hiring Black women, women of color, and nonbinary people of color.
Set against the rich tapestry of Yoruba people of Nigeria’s history and achievements, Iyanu is an adaptation of Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios’ popular graphic novel series “Iyanu: Child of Wonder.”
The 2D animated series takes place in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland and centers around Iyanu, a teenage orphan girl who studies Yoruba history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers 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.
As previously announced, Brandon Easton (Transformers: War for Cybertron: Siege, Marvel’s Agent Carter) spearheads the writers' room, with Okupe serving as the executive producer, writer, and director on multiple episodes. LFE’s Saxton Moore (Rise Up, Sing Out) serves as supervising director, with executive producers including Steward II and Matt Heath, Impact X Capital’s Erica Dupuis, Forefront Media Group’s Ryan Haidarian, and Doug Schwalbe.
Lion Forge Entertainment is represented by Activist Artists Management. BWA is represented by Zero Gravity Management.
Source: Lion Forge Entertainment
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
