This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
On July 30, 2020, Wanuri Kahiu announced that she would be directing the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical 'Once on This Island' for Disney+.
According to her tweet, Kahiu expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to direct the film adaptation, stating, 'I'm grateful to be directing the film adaptation of Once On This Island for Disney+ with scriptwriter Jocelyn Bioh @jjbioh (School Girls/ She Gotta Have It/ Russian Doll)!!! A musical about true love, Gods and the magic of radical hope! https://t.co/egSHsE7DQF.'
Kahiu is known for her work on the film 'Rafiki', which became the first Kenyan film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival and recently won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release.
The film 'Rafiki' had been banned in Kenya by the Kenya Film Classification Board when it was released, but a judge later lifted the ban, stating that 'Gay theme or the practice of homosexuality did not begin with Rafiki.'
The musical adaptation of 'Once on This Island' will be written by playwright Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Kahiu. The musical is based on the novel by Rosa Guy, 'My Love, My Love or The Peasant Girl.'
