Manuel here catching us up with some casting news about an upcoming Disney tentpole film we should all be getting more and more excited about. Earlier this year it was announced that Ava DuVernay would direct the big screen adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. That the beloved children's book would be a Disney film surprised no one but DuVernay's involvement piqued our interests...
And as more and more casting announcements have been made, we cannot stress enough how exciting the film sounds. For her lead, Meg Murry, she cast Storm Reid, a young girl whose first acting credit was on Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. The choice was made after DuVernay and her time actively sought mixed-race and biracial children, a note that best exemplifies the way the outspoken director is looking to make her own mark on the material. It also explains the choice of casting for Murry's parents (Chris Pine and Gugu Mbatha-Raw!).
The Pine and Mbatha-Raw announcements came after DuVernay had already revealed that Oprah, Mindy Kaling, and Reese Witherspoon would be playing Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who, respectively, three of the magical beings that help Meg along her journey to find her father. That's quite the cast, isn't it? Enough star power to appease the Disney suits yet enough off-kilter choices that prove DuVernay's project might be something very very special.
The great Willie Burton and team. The most nominated African-American in @TheAcademy history. And our sound mixer. #legend #teamwrinkle pic.twitter.com/NQY4HbqDXT
— Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) October 20, 2016
The film, which was written by Jennifer Lee (of Frozen fame), is still in pre-production, with DuVernay sharing more and more tidbits on Twitter about #TeamWrinkle, but here at TFE cannot wait until it's in front of our eyeballs. Any Wrinkle fans care to weigh in on these casting choices?