Jaden and Willow Smith are taking their creativity into the world of anime.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the siblings have partnered with N LITE, a Black-owned media company and anime studio based in the U.S. and Tokyo, to executive produce and voice roles in two upcoming animated films.
Jaden is set to executive produce and star in “Mfinda,” an epic fantasy inspired by Congolese folklore. The film is a collaboration between N LITE, the award-winning studio GKIDS, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and renowned anime producer Masao Maruyama. According to N LITE Founder and CEO Christiano Terry, Jaden will voice Kozo, an ancient spirit warrior who protects both humans and forest spirits amidst conflict in the Kingdom of Kongo.
“When I met Christiano, saw the artwork for ‘Mfinda’ and learned more about the story, I was blown away,” Jaden told The Hollywood Reporter.
“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 Masao Maruyama to bring this film to life,” he continued.
This marks a return to anime for Jaden, who previously voiced the lead character in Netflix’s “Neo Yokio” in 2017, the outlet notes.
Willow is also joining forces with N LITE as executive producer and voice actor for “Webe: Spirit Detective,” a horror-thriller anime inspired by Gullah Geechee folklore. Created by Terry and co-written by author Eden Royce, the film follows a paranormal investigator who travels to the Deep South to solve a string of mysterious murders tied to a vengeful spirit.
“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. 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,” Willow told The Hollywood Reporter.
According to the outlet, “Webe: Spirit Detective” is currently in development at N LITE’s Tokyo studio, with Kibwe Tavarez co-directing and Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Ramsey and horror manga artist Gigi Murakami serving as executive producers.
“We are honored to collaborate with Jaden and Willow. 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,” Terry told the outlet.
These anime projects follow a string of new ventures for both siblings. Jaden was recently named Christian Louboutin’s first men’s creative director, as previously reported. He also debuted a new music project titled “2025: A Surrealist Ball or Elephants Reflecting Swans,” The Hollywood Reporter noted. Willow, meanwhile, recently joined the cast of “Slime,” an anime-inspired sci-fi monster film alongside Kid Cudi, Teyana Taylor, Anna Sawai, John Cho, and John Boyega.
