The creator and showrunner of Cartoon Network’s breakout hit Iyanu has pulled the curtain back on his next book-based project.

Roye Okupe is developing an anime film adaptation of Malika: Warrior Queen, a fantasy graphic novel he penned and published in 2018 under Dark Horse. He’s partnering with The Co-Production Company, the Superprod-owned firm that specializes in kids content financing and distribution.

Based on a reimagining of African history, the film is geared towards teen audiences and follows a young queen who must unite her divided kingdom. As per a logline, the film combines the emotional precision of anime with the soul and rhythm of African storytelling: action, political intrigue and a visual style inspired by the pulse of the Afrobeats musical genre. 

This blend of styles and genres, called Afro-Anime, has been seen in Okupe’s own Iyanu series. There’s been growing industry interest in this subgenre; actor Viola Davis’ JuVee banner struck a deal with N LITE just last year to produce a slate of Afro-Anime films.

Malika: Warrior Queen is expected to enter preproduction soon, with Okupe pulling double duty as director and screenwriter. He will executive produce the project through his YouNeek Studios banner with Erica Motley (Impact X Studios) and Adesua Etomi-Wellington (pictured left), who will also lead the voice cast. And The Co-Production Company founder Doug Schwalbe will produce the pic, alongside Randy Dormans (Kung Fu Panda).

More than 100,000 copies of Malika comics and graphic novels have sold worldwide across two volumes, according to a release.

Lion Forge Entertainment’s Iyanu, which is also based on Okupe’s graphic novels, debuted in April this year and quickly became the top series among two to 12s on Cartoon Network. Driven by this strong performance, the show scored a second season renewal as well as a greenlight for two feature films.