Watch the Trailer for the Anticipated Animated Series, ‘Iyanu’

Years in the making,Iyanu, the animated series based on the graphic novelIyanu: Child of Wonder, created by Roye Okupe’s Youneek Studios, is finally set to premiere on Cartoon Network and Max this spring. The pilot of the highly-anticipated show will air on April 4 on Cartoon Network and will be available on demand on Max the following day.

On June 13, the entire first season will be on Showmax and available in 44 African countries. The show features an all-African voice cast, including veteran Nigerian actors like Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Shaffy Bello, Stella Damasus and Blossom Chukwujeku.

“Iyanu represents a major leap forward in our commitment to telling culturally rich stories that resonate with audiences around the globe, and we’re confident audiences will share in our excitement,” Lion Forge Entertainment CEO and Founder David Steward II said in a statement.

A new feature trailer has also been shared, giving viewers a glimpse into the series’ rich magical world and its compelling central character and conflict.

Last October, viewers got a first look at Iyanu. The scene in this sneak peek introduced us to the titular character, voiced by Serah Johnson, as she walks on ancestral land and takes in a history lesson from her friend Biyi (Okey Jude). Their moment of tranquility is upended when they are set upon by a wild rhino, who chases after them menacingly, until Iyanu stands her ground and channels the ancestral wisdom of her heritage, stopping the rhino in its tracks and unveiling her true nature as the chosen one.

This sneak peek premiered at the 2024 New York Comic Con. The series will stream on Cartoon Network and Max in the U.S., as well as on Showmax across 44 countries in Africa.

Speaking with OkayAfrica last year, Okupe said he hopes that the show, which is largely based on Yoruba culture, resonates with a global audience and makes Africans proud. “What’s most important to me is that Nigerians and Africans all over the world would see this show and they would have a smile on their face. They would see this show and it would be something that makes them proud to call themselves Nigerians, to call themselves Africans.”