Movies News
'A Wrinkle in Time' Is Breaking Ground With Its Casting
When Disney hired Ava DuVernay to direct a relatively big YA adaptation like A Wrinkle in Time, we expected that she’d break some ground with the sci-fi/fantasy effort. One notable step was the news that she’s the first woman of color to work with a budget above $100 million. And she’s the rare woman and and the rare person of color to be at the helm of something this size. Now she’s pushing boundaries with her casting of the picture. The latest announcement indicates the main characters will be quite diversely cast.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, African-American child actress Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave) has been chosen for the lead role of Meg Murray, who with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin travels through time and space in search of her missing scientist father. The Murray family will now be of mixed race, and Calvin is also said to be a nonwhite character in this version. A previous adaptation broadcast on ABC in 2004 had an all white cast.
Reid and the other soon-to-be-cast kids will join a tri-racial group playing the mysterious extraterrestrial beings who guide the young ones on their journey. Oprah Winfrey (pictured above with DuVernay) is portraying Mrs. Which, Mindy Kaling will be Mrs. Who and Reese Witherspoon plays Mrs. Whatsit. Here’s hoping the marketing departments doesn’t disappoint us and feature Witherspoon more let alone most prominently on the poster. So far, this is a great advancement for non-obligatory diverse casting in a major motion picture.
It’s hard to tell just how highly anticipated A Wrinkle in Time will be. It’s not a recently published YA book, having been first published in 1963, but it’s something that many kids still read. And many of us adults read it when we were young, so hopefully there’s some nostalgic interest there. DuVernay, best known for Selma, is one of the most uniquely talented directors working today, and it’s not just exciting that she’s getting to make this movie but also that this movie is getting to be directed by her.
and