How "Iyanu" Bridges Hollywood and Nollywood

Iyanu is a story about bravery, courage, and destiny. It follows a teenage orphaned girl who, after discovering her powers, embarks on a journey to learn about her past and save Yorubaland from evil forces. The story is Avatar: The Last Airbender, but with rich Nigerian elements and peculiarities.

As the first Nigerian animated series to be adapted by HBO Max and Cartoon Network, Iyanu represents a milestone. It stands among the few Hollywood projects centered around Nigeria that include Nigerian actors in leading roles. The cast features prominent Nollywood stars: Adesua Etomi plays Olori, Iyanu's guardian and teacher; Blossom Chukwujekwu plays Kanfo; Shaffy Bello plays Emi; and Serah Johnson voices Iyanu, among others.

Iyanu offers a refreshing perspective in the world of animation, delivering a story rich in history and beautifully rendered. Throughout the narrative, authentic elements of Nigerian culture — from speech patterns to cultural perspectives — seep into the characters, creating an authentic representation of Yoruba culture even within its fictional setting. The series symbolizes a significant moment for Nigerian animation and the bridging of worlds between Hollywood and Nollywood that has been long in the works.

Meeting point

For many Nigerian actors involved, this project was their first foray into animation. "I was so fascinated by how the Yoruba community was portrayed," Damasus says about what drew her to the project. "The characters, the feminine strength and the reminder of who we are as a people, our culture, the costumes, and the way the story was created, I just couldn't wait for people to see it. I am so grateful to be a part of this."

Co-star Etomi echoes Damasus' appreciation for the well-developed cultural elements. She had previously worked with Okupe, the creator of Iyanu, on Malika: Warrior Queen, another compelling story about a warrior-queen fighting to protect her kingdom. Like Iyanu, that project also drew inspiration from Nigerian history, specifically from brave and notable women like Queen Amina.

The Nolly-Hollywood pact

For decades, Africa has been a fascinating but often poorly represented subject in Hollywood productions. From stereotypical and usually exaggerated illustrations of life on the continent to the inaccurate portrayal of "African" accents, authenticity has been lacking.

As Winston Sylvans notes in an essay about Hollywood's persistent difficulty in correctly portraying African accents, "Today, especially in Hollywood, the depiction of African accents is often a caricature, permeating media entertainment, and it begs the question of who should be held responsible. Is the industry-wide nonchalance due to huge studios not seeing it as a real problem?"

The disregard for accuracy and reluctance to involve actors from the continent when creating projects about Africa has been both a source of frustration for those being portrayed and a miseducation for audiences.

Even high-profile Hollywood projects like the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola, the historical drama Hotel Rwanda, the biopic Concussion starring Will Smith, and the culturally significant Black Panther films have fallen short in their attempts to portray Africa authentically. Across these productions, one common issue stands out: the limited involvement of actual Africans in major capacities during development.

Iyanu demonstrates what a fruitful partnership between Nollywood and Hollywood can look like. More importantly, it does a good job of allowing the people on whom the story is based to tell the story.

"Representation was key for all of us who were a part of it," Damasus says. "Finally, we get to tell our story, and a Nigerian is telling it. We are the voices behind the characters, telling the story. We're representing ourselves, so we sound right and look right." She adds that elements like diverse skin tones and body types accurately reflect how Nigerians look.

Etomi summarizes it perfectly, "Authenticity matters, and that's what having Nigerians tell a Nigerian story brings to the table."

As viewers follow Iyanu on her journey of self-discovery, bringing the nuanced and vibrant world Okupe has created, the hope and new beginnings she inspires will surely reverberate beyond the ambit of this fictional world.