Go Behind-the-Scenes in Ava DuVernay’s First Blockbuster A Wrinkle in Time

There’s good reason Ava DuVernay is one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars—from her sizzling breakout film, Selma to her incredible documentary 13th, to her work on the small screen with Queen Sugar, DuVernay hasn’t made a single misstep. Now we’re nearing the release of her proper first blockbuster,  Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, based on Madeline L’Engle’s book of the same name and starring Storm Reid as Meg Murry, a young girl who won’t let a little thing like 90 billion light years separate her from her beloved dad, Dr. Alex Murry (Chris Pine). In a new behind-the-scenes featurette, we get a much closer look at DuVernay’s first foray into blockbuster territory, yet she’s brought all the sensibilities and skill that have made just about everything she’s touched work so exquisitely. She’s also got a way with actors, and she’s surrounded herself with some of the best for this film.

Reid and Pine are joined by a bonkers cast—Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling play the three supernatural beings who will help guide Meg and her friend as they try to bend time to their will to find Meg’s dad. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Zach Galifianakis are also on board, and DuVernay directs from an adaptation from Frozen co-writer/co-director Jennifer Lee. Shooting largely on location in both L.A. and New Zealand, A Wrinkle in Time has the lush look of an epic, with the talent both in front of and behind the camera to deliver something magical.

DuVernay joins a small cadre of female directors helming major projects, which includes Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2) and Kathryn Bigelow (K:19 The Widowmaker) and now Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). Meanwhile Anna Boden is co-direct Captain Marvel, and we’re hoping this current trend increases.

Here’s the behind-the-scenes A Wrinkle in Time featurette below. The film hits theaters on March 9th.

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.

Featured image: L-r: Director Ava DuVernay and star Storm Reid on the set of A Wrinkle in Time. Courtesy Walt Disney Studios.

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The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.