Disney is beginning to cast the net in a bid to find an ensemble cast to headline the studio’s adaptation of beloved fantasy novel, A Wrinkle in Time.
Word comes by way of BackStage, revealing that the House of Mouse has narrowed down its spree to three nominal roles: Meg Murry, her five-year-old brother Charles Wallace and Calvin, a high-school junior who considers himself to be one of the misfits walking the campus halls.
Those casting calls listed by BackStage reveal that Disney is targeting two African Americans for the core parts of Meg (15-16) and Charles (5-7), while Calvin – a “handsome, fit, genuinely sweet, and caring; an empath, a decent young man” – is open to actors of African American, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander, or African descent.
That will surely pave the way for a diverse lineup of talent for Disney to consider, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the casting process – overseen by casting director Robyn Owen – pans out.
Lifted from Madeleine L’Engle’s novel of the same name, A Wrinkle in Time has already instated Selma director Ava DuVernay at the helm, with the official synopsis teasing the mind-bending adventure that lies in wait.
This is the story of Meg Murry and her little brother Charles Wallace, who have been without their scientist father, Mr. Murry, for five years, ever since he discovered a new planet and used the fourth dimension time/space travel concept known as a tesseract to travel there. Joined by Meg’s classmate Calvin O’Keefe, and guided by the three mysterious astral travelers known as Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, the children brave a dangerous journey to a planet that possesses all the evil in the universe in order to find Mr. Murry.
Adapted to the screen by Frozen writer-director Jennifer Lee, expect production on Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time to get underway once those leading roles have been snapped up.