David Oyelowo and Will Smith to Produce a Netflix Adaptation of Tola Okogwu’s Upcoming Book, ”Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun”
David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon Productions and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios are teaming up for a Netflix film adaptation of Tola Okogwu’s children’s fantasy book ”Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun”.
”Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun” is the first in a series of children’s books from the author, which is expected to be published by Simon & Schuster on the 9th of June this year. The book tells the story of a young girl who learns she has powers, subsequently travelling to Nigeria to learn more about her origins. There, she discovers a threat to her newfound magical community.
The film adaptation will be written by Ola Shokunbi, a rising screenwriter who has worked on the upcoming Netflix sci-fi thriller Satellite. David Oyelowo, Will Smith and Westbrook’s co-president, Jone Mone are producing this film adaptation with Westbrook Studios’ Heather Washington, and Yoruba Saxon’s Jessica Oyelowo as executive producers.
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Yoruba Saxons was founded by David Oyelowo and his wife, Jessica Oyelowo to bring value-based content across all platforms. The company has so far produced David Oyelowo’s feature directorial debut The Water Man, Searchlight and Pathé’s The United Kingdom, Paramount’s Captive, HBO’s Nightingale and Filmrise’s Five Nights in Maine.
We are so excited about this new development and look forward to having “Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun” on the big screen.