Kids and super hero animation lovers are in for a treat as Showmax is set to premiere its first Original animated series, Jay Jay: The Chosen One.
The 13-episode series reimagines the childhood of Nigerian football legend Augustine “Jay Jay” Okocha, who played for the Nigerian national team between 1993 and 2006 and led the country to Olympic victory at the 1996 Atlanta games. Okocha also played in three FIFA World Cups and has become a celebrated football commentator.
Jay Jay: The Chosen One follows the life of Augustine, an 11-year-old boy who dreams of representing his school at a prestigious football tournament with a team made up of his rag-tag group of friends. The series charts Jay Jay’s passion for football, as well as his love for the animal kingdom, who in return for his fight against illegal poaching, bestow superpowers upon him.
This delightful series will give Nigerian children of all ages the opportunity to see themselves represented in animated form which is positive, humorous and educational. It will enchant and motivate kids across our continent through fantasy adventures as well as the power of sport.
Speaking on the show, Okocha said, “I’m honoured to have an animated series that reimagines my childhood. Jay Jay: The Chosen One is going to bring back good childhood memories as well as inspire young children who have dreams to be football players. I’m excited about the show and grateful to Showmax and the production team who worked hard to bring it to life.”
The series is voiced by a talented Nigerian cast, including award-winning teen actor, Prince Unigwe (Glamour Girls, Samson in 2nd February), who voices the character of young Jay Jay; veteran actor Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki of Aki and PawPaw and Efe on Africa Magic Comedy series The Johnsons); Samuel Ajibola (Spiff on Africa Magic comedy series The Johnsons); pro-footballer turned actor, Eric Obinna; Tinsel actress Mena Sodje; upcoming actor Lexan Peters; and child actor Pamilerin Ayodeji (Daniella in The Father).
Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Showmax and Connected Video at MultiChoice, also said, “We are so excited to bring this first-of-its-kind series to our streaming audience. Not only is Jay Jay: The Chosen One another locally inspired Showmax Original, it marks the beginning of our adventures in animation. This is a show we believe will find audiences globally and shines the spotlight on yet another world-class African achiever that we hope will be enjoyed by kids and the entire family.”
The series soundtrack features music from popular Nigerian singer and vocalist, Waje.
Jay Jay: The Chosen One is animated by Nihilent Limited in partnership with the production studio 5th Dimension as well as animation studio I-Realities.
LC Singh, Nihilent Limited’s director and executive vice chairman, said, “I always knew that creating a sports-based animation series for kids would be challenging and rewarding at the same time. The amount of work that goes into every single frame is immense, but seeing the final product come to life makes it all worth it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring this vision to the world and to collaborate with such talented Nigerian voice artists, animators, and Showmax.”
Jay Jay: The Chosen One is available exclusively on Showmax.com from 6 April, with new episodes every Thursday.
Watch the trailer here
