History, in Hollywood, can be a slow-moving beast. For instance, it was just this year that Patty Jenkins smashed box office records for a film directed by a woman with “Wonder Woman” when the film crossed the $700 million mark, an exciting feat but one sullied by the fact that it took a decade for two films directed by women to even make $600 million (in that time over 25 movies directed by men crossed the $1 billion mark). But an even more damning fact: Today, in 2017, Ava DuVernay is the first black woman to direct a live-action movie with a budget higher than $100 million with the hotly anticipated “A Wrinkle In Time.” It’s a moment we should have reached a long time ago, but nonetheless, it’s exciting to have finally arrived (though it’s important to remember that a benchmarker does not, in any way, equal equality).
Considering the cosmic new poster and dazzling trailer (and Disney’s marketing budget), DuVernay’s ‘Wrinkle In Time’ is poised to break a lot more records. Based on Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 best-seller, “A Wrinkle In Time” follows a young girl who heads off on an extraordinary adventure to find her long-lost father. Along the way, she meets three celestial beings who lend her a hand. Here’s the official synopsis:
From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light 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.
DuVernay’s film is rounded out a ridiculously fantastic cast, including, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis and Michael Peña. “A Wrinkle In Time” opens on March 9, 2018.