‘Iyanu’ Creator Roye Okupe Announces ‘Malika: Warrior Queen’ Animated Feature

Following on from the global success of his animated series Iyanu — which debuted as the Showmax #1 kids show in Africa — creator and showrunner Roye Okupe is now expanding his Afro-Anime universe with his next major project: Malika: Warrior Queen, an anime- inspired feature film based on Okupe’s award-winning Dark Horse graphic novel, in collaboration with The Co-Production Company. Okupe is the project’s writer and director.

Set in a richly imagined 15th-century West African empire, Malika: Warrior Queen is an epic tale of power, family, and destiny — a story about a young queen’s rise from tragedy to legend as she unites a divided land under her rule. The producers say the production combines the emotional precision of anime with the soul and rhythm of African storytelling, blending breathtaking action, political intrigue and a visual style inspired by the pulse of Afrobeats.

Produced by Doug Schwalbe (The Co-Production Company) and multiple Emmy Award-winner Randy Dormans (Kung Fu Panda, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous), Malika: Warrior Queen  will voice star award-winning Nigerian actress Adesua Etomi-Wellington (The Wedding Party) as the titular heroine. Etomi-Wellington also serves as executive producer, alongside Impact X Studios’ Erica Motley and Roye Okupe via his YouNeek Studios banner.

“Malika: Warrior Queen is more than a film — it’s a mission: to show the world that African stories can stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest franchises on the planet,” said Okupe. “Malika’s journey mirrors the creative fight so many of us face: the struggle to lead with strength while still holding onto empathy, to build something lasting while carrying the weight of our past. I want audiences around the world to feel Africa in every frame and to recognize that these are not just African stories. They’re human stories.”

Malika is part of the YouNeek YouNiverse — a collection of African-inspired fantasy graphic novels rooted in history and mythology, published and distributed by Dark Horse Comics. In 2021, after five years of successful self-publishing, Okupe signed a landmark 20-book deal with Dark Horse. Since 2016, more than 100,000 copies of Malika comics and graphic novels have been sold worldwide.

The film is currently in development, with Okupe now penning the screenplay and pre-production gearing up to begin soon.

“Roye’s YouNeek YouNiverse of epic characters and stories is resonating globally,” said Schwalbe. “With the success of Iyanu on media platforms around the world and the incredible fan base support for the Malika graphic novels and short film, Malika: Warrior Queen promises to be a breakout hit. By teaming with Randy Dormans, we can bring TV economics to feature film production while delivering Royes’ unique storytelling through elevated traditional 2D animation.“

Motley noted, “Malika represents the kind of hero we rarely see — a woman who leads, fights, and loves with equal power. Her story celebrates African history, but her struggle to claim her voice and define her destiny is universal.”

On top of its strong showing on Showmax, Iyanu is a Top 10 Kids and Family title on HBO Max, was No. 1 in the Kids 6–12 category during its first month on Cartoon Network in April, and remains the #1 Kids and Family title on Showmax across 44 African countries. Iyanu is also running on ITVX in the U.K. and streaming on ABCiview in Australia. (Watch the Season 2 sneak peek revealed at NYCC here.)

youneekstudios.com | superprod.net/en/the-coproduction-company