Viola Davis And Others Partner Up With N LITE For 'MFINDA'

TV & Film

Feb 5

It was recently revealed in The Hollywood Reporter that Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s production company, JuVee Productions are throwing their hat in the animation circle, partnering up with N LITE to produce a slate of Afro-centric films, starting with the anime film MFINDA.

First announced at Annecy in 2023, MFINDA is a fantasy epic that “tells the story of a young girl, Odi, who is transported into the past where she joins another young girl, Nasambi. They must venture into the MFINDA and confront evil spirits to reclaim the Nkisi if she has any hope of returning home.” The film is said to be rooted in Congolese culture and folklore.

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MFINDA is the brainchild of Congolese-American artist Patience Lieken and Christiano Terry, founder of N LITE, a Black and Japanese-led media company and animation studio. While details on the story remain scarce, more details about the production team have emerged. It was revealed that veteran animator Gisaburo Sugii will direct; Sugii’s filmography spans several decades, and his credits include Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and even the original Astro Boy anime from 1963. Joining Sugii as a co-director is Arthell Isom, founder of D’Art Shtajio, Japan’s first black-owned animation studio. Isom also has credits in hit anime such as One Piece, Bleach, and Star Wars Visions.

The screenplay is written by Patience Lieken and Donald H. Hewitt (writer of Spirited Away’s English screenplay), with Mika Abe (writer of Forest of Piano) penning the Japanese screenplay. The score for this movie is composed by Ozie Cargile. Masao Maruyama, the co-founder of Madhouse and founder of MAPPA is also attached as a producer. GKIDS is also attached as a production company and distributor for the film.

With JuVee Productions now part of this all-star production team, it truly is a who’s who of both the anime and entertainment world as a whole. MFINDA will definitely be a film to watch closely as it continues its production.

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