EXCLUSIVE: AuliʻiCravalho, star of Moana 2 (2024) and Mean Girls: The Musical (2024), has boarded The Queen’s Flowers, an Oscar-qualified animated short, as executive producer.
The film, written and directed by filmmaker Ciara Leinaʻala Lacy, has won over 12 awards worldwide, and it marks the first venture into animation for Lacy, an Emmy nominee.
“Not only is the film masterfully crafted both in terms of animation and storytelling, but it’s also powerfully and beautifully authentic in terms of representation,” Cravalho said. “It immediately brought me to tears upon my first viewing, and I’m excited to be a champion of this film.”
The Queen’s Flowers follows Emma, a Native Hawaiian girl in 1915 Honolulu, as she embarks on a heartfelt quest to create a special gift for Queen Liliʻuokalani, Hawaiʻi’s last reigning monarch. The film has a rich with historical and cultural significance.
In addition to her voice acting role as Disney’s Moana in both Moana and Moana 2 opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the demigod Maui, Cravalho serves as executive producer on the upcoming live-action Moana directed by Thomas Kail.
RELATED: ‘Moana’ Live Action Cast Vs. Animated Characters: Who Plays Who?
Currently, Cravalho can be seen making her Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Her other credits include starring in Paramount Pictures’ Mean Girls: The Musical as Janis, Hulu’s Crush, Amazon’s The Power opposite Toni Collette and John Leguizamo, and NBC’s musical-drama Rise.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Auliʻi join our team as an executive producer,” Lacy shared. “Her work and career are a brave testament to the pursuit of excellence as an artist, a human, and an advocate for Pasifika stories. There is no better fit to represent this film.”
The film has screened at over 35 film festivals around the globe since March, premiering and winning two awards at the New York International Children’s Film Festival and later showing at Spark Animation, Anibar International Animation Festival, Holly Shorts, Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Zlin Film Festival amongst others. The film boasts 12 jury and audience awards, including the Oscar Qualifying Made in Hawaiʻi jury award at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival.
RELATED: ‘Moana 2’ Directors Discuss Expanding Identity, Raised Stakes And Original ‘Darker’ Mid-Credit Scene
“Seeing how audiences around the world have embraced The Queen’s Flowers has been incredibly moving,” said Lacy. “We’re humbled by the heartfelt response and grateful to everyone who has joined us on Emma’s journey to celebrate our heritage and the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani.”
Moana 2 has continuously broken records since its Thanksgiving release, becoming the biggest five-day opening of all time, and it has grossed over $600 million and counting at the box office. It also just received a Golden Globe nomination earlier this week.