Lupita Nyong’o to produce animated musical for Netflix based on her best-selling children’s book Sulwe
She’s best known as an Oscar-winning actress.
But Lupita Nyong’o is also a children’s book author and now her bestseller Sulwe is going to be made into an animated musical by Netflix.
The Mexico-born, Kenya-raised star, 37, said Thursday she is ‘thrilled’ about the project and hopes it will ‘inspire children all around the world to celebrate their uniqueness.’
Big deal: Lupita Nyong’o said Thursday she is ‘thrilled’ that her children’s book Sulwe is being made into an animated musical for Netflix. She will serve as producer on the project
Sulwe, published in October 2019, tells the story of a young girl whose skin color is darker than anyone else she knows.
One night, she is visited by a shooting star and goes on a journey to learn about the sisters Night and Day.
Along the way, according to Deadline.com, she learns that true beauty comes from within.
Best seller: Sulwe, published in October 2019, tells the story of a young girl whose skin color is darker than anyone else she knows. And through a magical journey, she learns that true beauty comes from within
Close to her heart: The Mexico-born, Kenya-raised star, 37, said she hopes the animated musical will ‘inspire children all around the world to celebrate their uniqueness’
‘The story of Sulwe is one that is very close to my heart,’ Nyong’o said in a statement.
‘Growing up, I was uncomfortable in my dark skin. I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in the aspirational pages of books and magazines, or even on TV. It was a long journey for me to arrive at self-love.’
She explained: ‘Sulwe is a mirror for dark-skinned children to see themselves, a window for those who may not be familiar with colorism, to have understanding and empathy, and an invitation for all who feel different and unseen to recognize their innate beauty and value.’
Nyongo’s is producing the adaptation but no other details about the planned animated musical have been released.
Star: Nyong’o first came to prominence in 2013’s 12 Years A Slave for which she received the best supporting actress Oscar at the 2014 Academy Awards
It’s the latest in a roster of animated titles for Netflix.
The subscription streaming service has also snapped up Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10½: A Space Age Adventure, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Deadline.com reported.
Nyong’o first came to prominence in 2013’s 12 Years A Slave for which she received the best supporting actress Oscar at the 2014 Academy Awards.
She has gone on to star in the final Star Wars trilogy, in Marvel’s Black Panther and in the horror movie Us.
Big roles: The actress has gone on to star in the final Star Wars trilogy and in Marvel’s Black Panther (pictured with co-stars Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright)
In demand: She also starred in Jordan Peele’s horror movie Us, released in 2019