Fans who want to see the sibling duo collaborate on a project may have to wait a little while. For now, Jaden Smith will both executive produce and voice a role in Mfinda, which THR describes as “an epic fantasy inspired by Congolese folklore.” Smith will reportedly play Kozo, an “ancient spirit warrior who protects humans and spirits of the forest during a time of great conflict in the Kingdom of Kongo.” The film, which is currently in pre-production, is also backed by producer-distributor GKIDS (The Boy And The Heron), Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and anime producer Masao Maruyama (Tokyo Godfathers). It’s being hailed as the first anime film created by a Black and Japanese team of producers and animators.
While the film may break new ground in the world of anime, it won’t be Smith’s first time in the recording booth. In 2017, he also voiced Kaz Kaan, the protagonist of Netflix’s Neo Yokio. “When I met Christiano (Terry, the founder and CEO of N LITE), saw the artwork for Mfinda and learned more about the story, I was blown away,” Smith said in a statement. “A lot of people have asked when I’d get back into anime, I knew immediately this was it. I’m honored to work with N LITE and the legendary producer Masao Maruyama to bring this film to life.”
Willow Smith, on the other hand, will executive produce and voice a character in Webe: Spirit Detective, a horror-thriller inspired by Gullah Geechee folklore. The anime film will follow “an amateur sleuth with a penchant for the paranormal, who travels to the deep south to solve a string of murders that have awakened a vengeful Boo Hag spirit seeking justice,” per THR. The project was created by N LINE CEO Terry, with production help from Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse‘s Peter Ramsey. “To me, Webe is more than an anime, it is a story about reconnecting with mystical ancestry and the power in discovering your roots and your tribe,” Smith said in her own statement. “It is the type of film that I want to be a part of, and I’m excited to be doing this with N LITE.”
N LITE is just as excited to be in business with the Smiths. “We are honored to collaborate with Jaden and Willow,” Terry said. “They are pillars of this generation and talented storytellers at the zeitgeist of culture, art, fashion, music and cinema. I can’t wait for the world to see what we have in store.” At the very least, this probably means we’re due for a few more zany Jaden Smith red carpet appearances.
