Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Wednesday that Netflix has acquired Joanna Natasegara’s Sundance-premiered documentary The Disciple and will stream it globally on Oct. 16, 2026.
- Natasegara directed the feature in her debut after five years of work, and the project lists Wu‑Tang member RZA as an executive producer and on-screen contributor.
- The film centers on Dutch‑Moroccan producer Tarik Azzougarh, known as Cilvaringz, tracing his 1990s fandom, entry into Wu‑Tang’s inner circle, and role in making the secret 31‑track record Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
- Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was produced as a single physical copy, sold at auction in 2015 for $2 million to Martin Shkreli, later seized by U.S. authorities and resold, while contractual limits bar a commercial release for decades.
- By bringing the story to Netflix, the documentary is likely to renew public debate about scarcity, artistic intent, and who gets access to cultural works when creators and markets treat music as a collectible rather than a public good.