Netflix announced that they have joined forces with Westbrook Studios’ Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) and Jon Mone, and Yoruba Saxon’s David Oyelowo (The Girl Before) on a film adaptation of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun. The upcoming book Onyeka and the Academy of The Sun by Tọlá Okogwu will be published by Simon & Schuster in the U.S. and U.K. this June.
Ola Shokunbi (Satellite, Indigo, upcoming A Yellow Heaven) is set to write the adaptation. Smith,Mone and Oyelowo are on board as producers. Heather Washington (Westbrook Studios) and Jessica Oyelowo (Yoruba Saxon) are the Executive Producers.
As per synopsis of the upcoming Netflix film, a teenager learns she has powers and travels to Nigeria to learn more about her origins, where she discovers a threat to her newfound magical community.
The description of the upcoming book reads: Black Panther meets X-Men in this action-packed and empowering middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers!
Launched in 2019 by founders Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada, Westbrook is a media company that empowers artists to tell stories that connect the world.The studio has recently produced Warner Bros.’ Oscar-nominated drama King Richard, and Peacock’s Fresh Prince revival Bel-Air.
Yoruba Saxon’s films include The Water Man (RLJE), Nightingale (HBO), Captive (Paramount), A United Kingdom (Fox Searchlight), Come Away (Relativity Media), Five Nights in Maine (FilmRise) and the upcoming film Solitary (BRON Studios).