Author Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved novel A Wrinkle in Time is brought to the big screen by visionary director Ava DuVernay from a screenplay by Oscar winner Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell.
A Wrinkle in Time is an epic adventure that takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light, good versus evil and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.
The film stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which; Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Reese Witherspoon as Mrs. Whatsit; Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling as Mrs. Who; Storm Reid as Meg Murry; Levi Miller as Calvin; Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murry; Michael Peña as Red; with two-time Emmy winner Zach Galifianakis as the Happy Medium and Emmy nominee Chris Pine as Mr. Murry.
When Madeleine L’Engle’s young adult novel A Wrinkle in Time was first published in 1962, it became an instant classic. The timeless story of a young girl searching the universe for her father enchanted countless readers around the world and spawned four additional books featuring the same characters known as L’Engle’s Time Quintet. In 1963 the book was awarded the Newbery Medal (as the most dis nctive piece of work in children’s literature for that year), and its popularity has continued to grow since then. Today the book is available in 35 languages and has sold millions of copies around the world.
“A Wrinkle in Time is an incredibly emotional journey, but it is set against a magnificent landscape and in a world that is beyond dramatic,” producer Jim Whitaker says. “It is epic in its size and scope, but it is also deeply emotional and is entertaining and funny and an all-around great adventure.”
In 2014, the studio approached celebrated screenwriter Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph) about adap ng L’Engle’s novel for the big screen, a prospect that thrilled her. “As a child, the book defied anything I had read at that point in my life in terms of imagination,” says Lee. “And it was my first introduction to a character like Meg— someone who is dynamic and flawed and unique, who goes through an extraordinary adventure and comes out stronger as a person.”
“A Wrinkle in Time is a book that pushes your imagina on to the next level,” says Lee. “The book doesn’t follow a traditional film structure in any way. It’s very ethereal, it’s very spiritual and it gets in your head, and when you have that kind of a relationship with a book, it’s okay because that’s what is great about reading: your mind fills in the gaps with what you want to see. But with film I have to make choices.”
“The idea of A Wrinkle in Time really captured my imagina on once I read the script,” director Ava DuVernay remembers. “As a woman, the story of a female heroine at the center of a spectacular journey really resonated with me.”
She continues, “A Wrinkle in Time is this beautiful stew of mystery, fantasy, adventure, science, romance, social commentary and spirituality. It’s not o en 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.”
“The reason why generations of people have gravitated toward this book is because it has an edge,” DuVernay adds. “It was on the edge of imagination and adventure in 1962, and our goal was to extend that edge through our design and effects to bring Jennifer Lee’s script to vibrant life.”
A Wrinkle in Time is a timeless tale, and the combined perspec ves of DuVernay and Lee add rich layers to the powerful story in a way that lovingly preserves L’Engle’s voice and simultaneously brings a new vision to life.
A Wrinkle in Time is distributed by The Walt Disney Company (Philippines). For more information, check out the film’s website and Mobile site at disney.com/wrinkleintime. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WrinkleinTime. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WrinkleinTime and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrinkleintime/ and use the Hashtag: #WrinkleinTime
