Only one physical copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin exists. Even streaming giant Netflix talked about the magnitude of the group’s seventh studio album:
“It’s the most expensive record ever sold — and almost no one has even heard it.”
The story behind it hits Netflix Oct. 16 in The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable.
Oscar winner Joanna Natasegara directed the documentary, her first feature as director. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 22, 2026.
She spent five years on the film, per Hot Press. Natasegara told Variety about her inspiration.
“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. I’m so thrilled audiences will get to spend time in this world I’ve loved so much.”
How a Teenage Fan Helped Create Wu-Tang Clan’s Secret Album
Tarik Azzougarh, a Dutch-Moroccan rapper known as Cilvaringz, was a devoted Wu-Tang fan in the ’90s, per Variety.
His break came when he was randomly chosen to join the group onstage, per DJ Mag.
He went on to sign with RZA’s Razor Sharp Records and open for Wu-Tang on tour, per Sundance. Over time, RZA became his mentor.
Cilvaringz then pitched a Wu-Tang album with just one copy to sell at auction. The result, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, was recorded in secret over six years. Its 31 tracks were sealed in an ornate silver case.
Pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli bought the album at a 2015 auction for a reported $2 million. He was later convicted of unrelated securities fraud, per Sundance.
Under the sale’s terms, the album can’t be commercially released until 2103, per Netflix’s Tudum.
Meanwhile, RZA, who’s an executive producer of the film, appears on camera.
“The idea of music being art — of music being a work of art and a piece of art — that’s what this is all about,” he said.
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