Netflix is diving into one of the most mysterious chapters in Wu-Tang Clan history with a new documentary about the group’s legendary secret album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
Titled The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable, the documentary explores the creation of the 31-track project, which famously challenged the traditional rules of how music is released, owned and experienced.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Joanna Natasegara, the film follows Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, born Tarik Azzougarh, whose journey from Wu-Tang fan to collaborator became closely connected to the creation of the controversial project.
Wu-Tang Clan Made Only One Copy of the Album
Perhaps the wildest part of the story is that only one physical copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was ever produced.
That single copy was sold at auction in 2015 for a reported $2 million, making the project one of the most unusual — and expensive — releases in hip-hop history.
The buyer was controversial entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, who later became known for his securities fraud conviction.
The album’s extreme scarcity, unusual ownership arrangement and connection to Wu-Tang Clan immediately turned it into one of music’s biggest mysteries.
How Cilvaringz Became Part of Wu-Tang Clan’s Inner Circle
The Disciple follows Cilvaringz’s unlikely journey into the Wu-Tang world.
His connection to the group began when he was a teenager and became a fan of the legendary collective. That passion eventually brought him into Wu-Tang Clan’s inner circle, where he developed a close creative relationship with RZA.
RZA became a mentor to Cilvaringz, helping shape the creative process that ultimately led to Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
The documentary explores that relationship while examining the ideas behind the album, including artistic ownership, scarcity and control over how music reaches an audience.
Joanna Natasegara Spent Five Years Making the Documentary
For Natasegara, The Disciple was more than a quick look at a famous hip-hop story.
The filmmaker spent five years developing the documentary, drawing on her own longtime connection to Wu-Tang Clan and fascination with the secret album.
Natasegara said her interest began with a teenage love of Wu-Tang before the mystery surrounding Once Upon a Time in Shaolin pulled her further into the story.
The result is a documentary that goes beyond the album itself, exploring themes of community, determination, creativity and innovation within hip-hop.
RZA Serves as Executive Producer
RZA, one of the central creative forces behind Wu-Tang Clan, serves as an executive producer on the documentary.
His involvement adds another layer of connection between the film and the story behind the album, which was created as an experiment in how music could be produced, distributed and experienced.
The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is set to arrive on Netflix on October 16.