‘This is a story about belonging,’ says director Ava DuVernay

The movie has one of the greatest ensemble casts of all time and at the Hollywood premiere of “A Wrinkle In Time” the entire cast were in attendance. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Zach Galifianakis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Storm Reid, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Rowan Blanchard were joined by director Ava DuVernay for a walk down the blue carpet where they greeted enthusiastic fans at the world premiere of the film which is based Madeleine L’Engle’s young adult novel.

Cast and director of A Wrinkle in Time – Photo by Charley Gallay
Actors Winston Duke (L) and Anthony Anderson
(L-R) Actors Tracee Ellis Ross, Tessa Thompson, and director Ava DuVernay

When it was first published in 1962, it became an instant classic. Readers were immediately fascinated with this timeless story of a young girl searching the universe for her father. A year later, the book was awarded the Newbery Medal (as the most distinctive piece of work in children’s literature for that year), and its popularity has continued to grow since then.

Actor Chike Okonkwo
Actors Bridgid Coulter (L) and Don Cheadle

Today the book is available in 35 languages and has sold millions of copies around the world. “This is a story about belonging,” says director Ava DuVernay. “It’s about a girl who just doesn’t feel strong in her mind, body and spirit. But through this epic journey, she finds her strength and learns that the center of the universe starts inside her. The idea of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ really captured my imagination once I read the script and as a woman, the story of a female heroine at the center of a spectacular journey really resonated with me.”

Oprah Winfrey and Ricky Strauss
Oprah Winfrey
Rowan Blanchard, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Storm Reid

Other celebrities in attendance at the premiere which was held at the historic El Capitan Theater included Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson, Angela Bassett, Kerry Washington, Kobe Bryant, America Ferrera, Tracee Ellis Ross, Janelle Monáe, Jay Hernandez, Don Cheadle, Eva Longoria, Tessa Thompson, Constance Wu, J.J. Abrams, Niki Caro, Ryan Coogler and Issa Rae.

Angela Bassett
Director Ava DuVernay (L) and actor Issa Rae
Actors Halle Bailey (L) and Chloe Bailey

“It is this beautiful stew of mystery, fantasy, adventure, science, romance, social commentary and spirituality,” continues DuVernay, a celebrated director with film credits including the Oscar- nominated films “Selma” and “13TH” as well as the NAACP Image Award-winning television series “Queen Sugar.” “It’s not often that we see girls at the center of a story— and certainly not girls of color—amid all these different worlds and planets. It really is something out of my wildest imagination.”

Actor Aisha Hinds
Ryan Coogler

Samantha Ofole-Prince is an entertainment industry specialist and contributes to Trendy Africa Magazine from Los Angeles. Photos by Alex J. Berliner/ABImages, Alberto E. Rodriguez

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.