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The Walt Disney Company
Source: The Walt Disney Company |

Disney Animation / Kugali New Series “Iwájú” to Air Across Africa

Disney Channel to Air Series Across Continent Following Disney+ Premiere

Iwájú’ is a true celebration of the creativity and storytelling excellence that is at the heart of Disney

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 23, 2024/APO Group/ --

Following the debut of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pan-African Entertainment Company Kugali’s “Iwájú” on Disney+ on Feb 28. 2024, the all-new original animated series will be heading to Disney Channel across Africa.

“Iwájú” will air* across Africa on Disney Channel—distributed on DStv platform (Channel 303)—this April and May, giving viewers across the continent an opportunity to view the series in territories where Disney+ is not available. “We created ‘Iwájú’ as a love letter to Lagos, Nigeria, and an ode to the rich legacy of African storytelling,” said Director Olufikayo Ziki Adeola. “We’re proud to share this series and hope that it inspires more Africans across the world to share their stories and shape our collective narrative.”

Says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: “‘Iwájú’ is a true celebration of the creativity and storytelling excellence that is at the heart of Disney, bringing the immense talent and creative vision of home-grown filmmakers to the world. With the distribution of the series on Disney Channel, the release of the ‘Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef” mobile game and the “Iwaju” Original Soundtrack Score, we are excited to give audiences across Africa the chance to experience this ambitious and uniquely innovative series.”

A first-of-its-kind collaboration with Pan-African entertainment company, Kugali, “Iwájú” is an original animated series set in a futuristic Lagos and tells the exciting coming-of-age story of Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds. “Iwájú” streams exclusively on Disney+ Feb. 28, 2024, in a six-episode event.

Also debuting Feb. 28 on Disney+ is “Iwájú: A Day Ahead,” a documentary special filmed across three continents that shares the story of the founders of the Pan-African entertainment company, Kugali, who made their dream a reality creating an original animation series with Walt Disney Animation Studios. Created by the ABC News Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios team that brought you “Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2,” the documentary shows anything is possible when talent meets opportunity. “Iwájú: A Day Ahead” is directed by Megan Harding and executive produced by Amy Astley and Beth Hoppe. 

*“Iwájú” will premiere each weekday from April. 22-26 at 17:00(CAT)/16:00(WAT) with a special marathon on April. 27 from 14:00 (CAT)/13:00(WAT), leading up to the final episode at 17:00(CAT)/16:00(WAT). Special repeat broadcasts will run from April. 29 – May. 4 with a marathon on May. 5 from 13:35(CAT)/12:35 (WAT) and, on Africa Day, May. 25, viewers will be able to view another 6-episode marathon from 11:00(CAT)/10:00(WAT).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Walt Disney Company.

Check Out Images: https://apo-opa.co/3uy6ChC
Link to Trailer: https://apo-opa.co/3SO2MJ1

Disney+ Press Contacts:
Jared Stokes
Senior Manager
PR
Communications and CSR
Jared.Stokes@disney.com

Luane Lavery
PR Manager
Disney+ and Studios
Luane.Lavery@disney.com

Social Media:
X: https://apo-opa.co/49pnfuZ
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/3OSUM8A
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/3UPlNgO
Hashtag: #IWAJU

About Kugali:
With authenticity and creativity at its heart, Kugali is an African-owned and operated storytelling collective spearheading Africa’s modern emergence into the AAA media landscape. Founded in 2017 by Tolu Olowofoyeku, Olufikayo Adeola and Hamid Ibrahim with the purpose of taking African stories to the world, Kugali Media has attracted recognition from companies like Disney and the BBC, as well as paved the way for a generation of new African storytellers to find their voices in graphic novels. Their most notable achievements include record-breaking crowdfunding campaigns, a slew of award-winning graphic novels and their upcoming Disney+ series in collaboration with Disney Animation, “Iwájú.” 

About Walt Disney Animation Studios:
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, including the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 2019’s Frozen 2, the biggest animated film of all time. Among the studio's timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen, Zootopia and Encanto. 

About ABC News Studios:
ABC News Studios, inspired by ABC News’ trusted reporting, is an award-winning, premium news and documentary original production house and commissioning partner of series and specials. ABC News Studios champions untold and authentic stories driving the cultural zeitgeist spanning true-crime, investigations, pop culture and news-adjacent stories. ABC News Studios’ original titles include critically acclaimed documentaries “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” “Sound of the Police,” “The Lady Bird Diaries” and “Aftershock,” and popular docu-series and documentaries, including “Killing County,” “Wild Crime,” “Mormon No More,” “The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump” and “Jelly Roll: Save Me.” 

About Disney+:
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star, and in the U.S., Disney Bundle subscribers can also access extensive Hulu content, including next day TV and Hulu Original titles, on Disney+. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ offers an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service, as part of the Disney Bundle in the U.S. that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, or as part of Combo+ in Latin America with Star+, the standalone general entertainment and sports streaming service in the region. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices