Roye Okupe Announces ‘Malika: Warrior Queen’ Animated Feature

EXCLUSIVE: Roye Okupe, creator and showrunner of the hit animated children’s show Iyanuhas revealed that he is working on an anime-inspired feature adaptation of his graphic novel Malika: Warrior Queen in collaboration with New York-based The Co-Production Company.

Set in a richly imagined 15th-century West African empire, Malika: Warrior Queen is billed as an epic tale of power, family, and destiny, following a young queen’s rise from tragedy to legend as she unites a divided land under her rule.

Okupe, who is writing and directing the feature, says it will combine 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.

The feature is produced by Doug Schwalbe at The Co-Production Company and multiple Emmy Award-winner Randy Dormans (Kung Fu Panda, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous).

Award-winning Nigerian actress Adesua Etomi-Wellington (The Wedding Party) will lead the cast as the voice of Malika and serves as Executive Producer, alongside Impact X Studios’ Erica Motley and Okupe via his YouNeek Studios banner.

For Occupy, he said Iyanu and Malika: Warrior Queen adaptations are part of a larger ambition to build an Afro-Anime universe taking its cue from his acclaimed YouNeek YouNiverse, a collection of African-inspired fantasy graphic novels rooted in history and mythology, published and distributed by Dark Horse Comics.

Originally self-publishing under the banner of his multiplatform entertainment company YouNeek Studios, Lagos-born, US-based Okupe signed a 20-book deal with Dark Horse in 2021. Since 2016, more than 100,000 copies of the Malika comics and graphic novels have been sold worldwide.

“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. Malika’s journey mirrors the creative struggle 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,” said Okupe.

“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,” added the creator, who previously experimented with the onscreen potential of Malika with an animated pilot in 2019.

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

“Roye’s YouNeek Youuniverse of epic characters and stories is resonating globally. 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,” said The Co-Production Company Founder and President Doug Schwalbe.

“By teaming with Randy Dormans, we can bring TV economics to feature film production while delivering Royes’ unique storytelling through elevated traditional 2D animation,” he added.

Executive Producer Motley at Impact X Studios, said Malika: Warrior Queen heralded a new type of big screen hero.

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

The announcement comes amid the continuing worldwide success of Iyanu – about a heroic young orphan living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland – which was adapted from Okupe’s graphic novel series Iyanu: Child of Wonder.

First launched in the US on HBO Max and Cartoon Network, the show ranked as the number one kids’ series on Cartoon Network and a Top 10 Kids & Family title on HBO Max. It premiered on Showmax across 44 African countries in June, where it quickly became the top title in the Kids & Family category.