Kickstarter Campaign Enters Final Stretch, Ending December 12, 2025
Crocodile Dance is an Africanfuturist animated film that reclaims and reimagines the legendary Mami Wata through the emotional journey of Roukia, a nomadic griot from Northern Nigeria. When a centuries-old curse threatens her coastal community, Roukia must confront the water goddess, reclaim her voice, and break a generational cycle of sacrifice.
The film blends richly painted 2D environments with 3D character animation inspired by the printmaking and sculptural traditions of Southwestern Nigeria. Its visual world draws from real places such as Badagry, Idanre, and Ibadan, and brings to life the Afro-bohemian frontier town of Itesi, where vintage 70s West Africa meets neon-lit 90s Hong Kong. The Kickstarter supports production of a high-quality animation test along with rewards including a hardcover artbook, an illustrated novella, behind-the-scenes travelogues, and expanded character and music development.
The base campaign goal is $70,000 dollars, supporting pre-production, production, rendering and compositing, editing and post, and sound and music.
Stretch rewards include:
$85K: Hardcover upgrade of the illustrated novella
$100K: Nigeria research trip and virtual travelogue
$150K: Dance and performance reference sessions with Griot Studios
$200K: Additional character and art development
$250K: Expanded musical score
$400K: Full 90 minute animatic
Crocodile Dance is created by a globally recognized team of African and diaspora storytellers and animators, including:
- Shofela Coker — Co-Director and Writer, known for Moremi in Disney’s Kizazi Moto
- Nadia Darries — Co-Director and Co-Writer of Aau’s Song in Star Wars: Visions
- Ingrid de Beer — Producer and Partner at Lucan Animation
- Shobo Coker — Story Editor and Executive Producer
- Peter Ramsey — Producing Consultant
- Nathan Miniere — Composer
- Ummi Yakubu — Story and Culture Consultant, Creative Director of Griot Studios
- Andre de Villiers — Animation Director
Additional animation artists include:
Lucan Animation in Cape Town serves as the animation partner. Legends Animated, a worker self-directed 501c3 nonprofit, is the fiscal sponsor.
The team is committed to telling a uniquely African story while collaborating with global talent across animation, music, and performance. Several members of the creative team previously worked on Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and Star Wars Visions for Disney Plus, where this cross-continental, inclusive production model was put into practice.
Collectively, the team’s credits include Kizazi Moto, Star Wars Visions, Eyes of Wakanda, Iyanu, Spiderman Into The Spiderverse, and The Lamplighter’s League.
Crocodile Dance brings one of Africa’s most influential supernatural figures, Mami Wata, into contemporary animation with cultural accuracy and emotional depth. While global audiences are embracing diverse fantasy storytelling, African mythology has rarely been represented with the nuance and care it deserves. This film offers a grounded, insider perspective on a legend that has shaped spiritual life across West and Central Africa for generations.
At its heart is Roukia, a Black woman musician whose strength lies in her storytelling, her voice, and her lineage. Her transformation from a silenced griot to an active force in her own myth reflects real experiences of grief, healing, and reclaiming identity. The film elevates a form of power rooted in resilience and creative expression, expanding how Black womanhood is portrayed on screen.
As African animation continues gaining global momentum through projects such as Kizazi Moto, Star Wars Visions, and Iyanu, Crocodile Dance stands as a significant next step. It reunites the acclaimed team behind Disney’s Moremi and introduces a visual language inspired by the traditional arts and landscapes of Southwestern Nigeria. The film serves both as cultural preservation and creative innovation, spotlighting African mythology through the voices of the artists who grew up with it.
Follow the film on Instagram:
https://www.
KICKSTARTER LINK:
https://www.kickstarter.
Author Profile
- I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!
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