Lupita Nyong'o explains why Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' is her 'anthem'

"Black Panther" star Lupita Nyong'o is starring in a new horror comedy called "Little Monsters," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday.

While the movie's title suggests a Lady Gaga connection, it actually has much more to do with Taylor Swift.

As USA Today reports, in the movie Nyong'o plays Miss Caroline, a kindergarten teacher who must protect her students when zombies attack during a field trip to a petting zoo. While fighting off the zombies with the help of one of the kids' parents, she sings songs -- including Taylor's hit "Shake It Off" -- to keep the students' spirits up.

The Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner from "12 Years a Slave," told USA Today that singing on screen was "uncharted territory."

"I do enjoy singing, but it's not often that I do it in the movies," she said. "It was a weird feeling ... it was all really uncharted territory. And I adore Taylor Swift's song 'Shake It Off.'"

Nyong'o added, "Honestly, 'Shake It Off' is an anthem of mine. The year it came out, I was having a really hard time on a project, so my best friend came to see me and cheer me up. He played it on his phone and we had a dance party in my bedroom, so I played it on repeat through that period."

She continued, "That's one of the reasons why my interest was piqued in this movie when I read the script, because I was like, 'Someone else who loves "Shake It Off" just as much as I do!'"

Nyong'o is up for another Academy Award this year along with the entire cast of "Black Panther," which made headlines when it became the first superhero film ever nominated for Best Picture.

Little Monsters will be released on Hulu later this year.