Wu-Tang Clan Secret Album Doc Coming to Netflix
The story behind the Wu-Tang Clan’s secretly recorded and sealed 31-track album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, is coming to Netflix in a new documentary titled The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable
The Journey of Cilvaringz and the Secret Album
The documentary chronicles the unlikely origins and controversial reception of the legendary hip-hop crew’s seventh studio album. The project traces the decades-long journey of Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, who transformed from a devoted fan into a key contributor alongside his childhood heroes.
With RZA acting as his mentor, Cilvaringz pushed forward the creation of the one-of-a-kind 31-track record. The album famously spent years shrouded in mystery after being sealed in a silver case and sold for $2 million at a 2015 auction.
Joanna Natasegara Makes Feature Directorial Debut
The project marks the feature directorial debut of Academy Award winner Joanna Natasegara. Natasegara worked alongside producers Abigail Anketell-Jones, Lauren Dark, and Vanessa Kirby to bring the story to the screen.
For the last five years, making this film has been a labor of love and discovery.
Natasegara said. She noted that her initial inspiration came from a teenage love of Wu-Tang and a story about the secret album that was too intriguing to miss. Executive producers on the film include The RZA, Joe Gebbia, Jason Ropell, and Abazar Khayami.
RZA Reflects on the Collaboration
The RZA praised the documentary as a pure complement to the time, highlighting how Cilvaringz entered the fold after scraping together his money to attend a club where he was pulled on stage by Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
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.
The RZA said. In all reality, he gets pulled into the cipher of Wu-Tang. And now his legacy is cemented.
Netflix Premiere Following Sundance Run
The film arrives on Netflix on October 16, following its run as a Sundance Film Festival favorite.