Will Smith, David Oyelowo partner to adapt Tola Okogwu’s book for Netflix

Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon have partnered with Netflix for the film adaptation of the book ‘Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun’.

‘Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun’ is an upcoming book by Tolu Okogwu, the British-Nigerian journalist.

The novel is set to be published on June 14 by Simon & Schuster in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The movie is to tell the tale of a teenager who has powers and travels to Nigeria to learn more about her origins. She discovers a threat to her newfound magical community.

The novel has been defined as the merging of ‘Black Panther’ and ‘X-Men’ — all in one.

Okogwu is represented by CAA and Claire Wilson at RCW Literary Agency while Ola Shokunbi is set to write the film adaptation.

Although Smith and Oyelowo have not worked together on the big screen, the two have established their respective production companies with their wives.

Oyelowo’s directorial debut was in 2020 with ‘The Water Man’ which is on Netflix.

Oyelowo co-founded his company, Yoruba Saxon, in 2014 with Jessica Oyelowo, his wife.

Smith launched Westbrook Studios in 2019 with Jada Pinkett Smith, his wife, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada.