Netflix has officially set Thursday, October 16, as the global release date for The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable, a film that traces the unlikely journey of a teenage superfan who worked his way into the inner circle of hip-hop royalty and helped create one of the most controversial artifacts the music industry has ever seen.

The documentary had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Joanna Natasegara, best known for The White Helmets and The Edge of Democracy, in her feature directorial debut.

At the center of the story is Tarik Azzougarh, known in music circles as Cilvaringz, the Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer who transformed his teenage obsession with Wu-Tang Clan into a decades-long relationship with The RZA himself. Under The RZA’s mentorship, Cilvaringz spearheaded the creation of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, a 31-track album recorded in secret over several years, packaged in an ornate handcrafted silver box, and released as a one-of-a-kind physical artifact designed to challenge the devaluation of music in the streaming era.

Only one copy would ever legally exist. Its 2015 sale to the highest bidder sparked a global conversation about artistic ownership, the commodification of music, and what it actually means for art to have value in a world where everything is a click away.

The documentary is produced by Abigail Anketell-Jones, Lauren Dark, and actress Vanessa Kirby, with executive production from The RZA, Joe Gebbia, Jason Ropell, and Abazar Khayami.

For Natasegara, the film was five years in the making and personal from the start. “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 said. “In the making I discovered so much more about why Tarik, myself, and so many of us idolise them. They stand for so much that is so needed right now — community, talent, tenacity, innovation and love.”

The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable arrives on Netflix on October 16.

Photo Credit: Netflix