Following the global success of Iyanu — which debuted as the number one kids’ show on Showmax and became a Top 10 Kids & Family title on HBO Max — creator and showrunner Roye Okupe is expanding his Afro-Anime universe with his next major project: Malika: Warrior Queen, an anime-inspired feature film based on his award-winning Dark Horse graphic novel. The project is being developed in collaboration with The Co-Production Company.
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 film blends the emotional depth of anime with the rhythm and soul of African storytelling, combining 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), the film will star award-winning Nigerian actress Adesua Etomi-Wellington (The Wedding Party) as the titular heroine. Etomi-Wellington will also serve as executive producer, alongside Impact X Studios’ Erica Motley and Okupe through his YouNeek Studios banner.
Malika: Warrior Queen is part of Okupe’s growing YouNeek YouNiverse — a collection of African-inspired fantasy graphic novels rooted in history and mythology, published and distributed by Dark Horse Comics. After five years of self-publishing, Okupe signed a landmark 20-book deal with Dark Horse in 2021. Since 2016, more than 100,000 copies of Malika comics and graphic novels have been sold worldwide.
Okupe, who is writing and directing the feature, views Malika as more than a film — but a mission to show that African stories can stand alongside the world’s biggest cinematic franchises. He aims for audiences to “feel Africa in every frame” while recognizing the universality of Malika’s journey — a struggle to lead with strength and empathy while carrying the weight of legacy.
The project marks a major milestone for Afro-Anime representation in global media. Executive producer Erica Motley called Malika “the kind of story we rarely see — one that celebrates African history through a woman who leads, fights, and loves with equal power.”
With pre-production gearing up and the screenplay now in development, Malika: Warrior Queen stands poised to expand the global reach of African animation and storytelling.