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The story of Wu-Tang Clan's most mysterious album will finally be told by the fan-turned-producer who helped make the one-of-a-kind project happen.
Earlier this week, Netflix debuted the trailer for its upcoming documentary, The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable. Academy Award-winning director Joanna Natasegara, alongside producers Abigail Anketell-Jones, Lauren Dark, and Vanessa Kirby, explores the creation and journey of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, which was recorded in secret over six years and sold as a single physical copy for $2 million in 2015. The album's conditions prohibit a full-length, commercial release until 2103.
“For the last five years, making this film has been a labor of love and discovery,” Natasegara told TV Insider.
“Initially, I was inspired by a teenhood love of Wu-Tang and a story about the secret album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin too intriguing to miss," she continued. "In the making, I discovered so much more about why Tarik, myself, and so many of us idolize them. They stand for so much that is so needed right now — community, talent, tenacity, innovation, and love. I’m so thrilled audiences will get to spend time in this world I’ve loved so much.”
“The documentary is a pure complement to the time,” The RZA explained. “Joanna lived it out. She had the word become flesh all the way. That’s the same thing with the album itself. There’s very few cases where a fan actually gets to stand beside the man and add onto the man’s legacy. Here’s a guy who scraped his dollars together, came to the club, and out of all the people there, he gets pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard. In all reality, he gets pulled into the cipher of Wu-Tang. And now his legacy is cemented.”
The film centers on Dutch-Moroccan superfan Tarik Azzougarh, also known as Cilvaringz, who became a key figure in the 31-track album's creation. With The RZA's guidance, Cilvaringz evolved from a devoted fan into an integral part of the Wu-Tang legacy. RZA also serves as executive producer alongside Joe Gebbia, Jason Ropell, and Abazar Khayami.
The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable debuts Friday, October 16 on Netflix. Watch the full trailer below.