On June 15th, at the D23 Expo, Disney unveiled their first look at the upcoming film, A Wrinkle in Time, which will be opening in theaters March 9th 2018. The film is based off the 1962 novel of the same name by Madeleine L’Engle, and will be directed by Ava DuVernay, famous for her brilliant work on the Oscar-nominated Selma, and her smaller feature film, Middle of Nowhere. This past weekend, Disney finally shared their first look at their ambitious new film, and while much is still unknown about the film, we’re taking at why it’s worth being excited about Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, hitting theaters next March.
It’s One of Disney’s Only Upcoming Films That Isn’t Based on a Pre-Existing Property
While A Wrinkle in Time is based on a pre-existing novel, it still has the relevance of being one of Disney’s only films, aside from Magic Camp, that is not a sequel, remake or reboot of an existing film property. In a year filled with a live-action remakes (Mulan), and plenty of sequels (The Incredibles 2, Mary Poppins Returns, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2) DeVernay’s film stands out as something as ambitious, and we’re proud that in a year of sequels, that Disney would take a gamble on such a creative, ambitious project.
The Director is Certain to Deliver
If there’s anything we learned watching Ava DeVernay’s previous films, it’s that DeVernay is an incredibly skilled director who knows how to craft brilliant emotional sequences with gripping intensity. Her ambition and creativity make her such a perfect fit to helm this film and a perfect addition to the Disney family. If you are looking for a spectacular film filled with beauty and emotion, look no further than Ava DeVernay to deliver just that.
An Excellent Crew and a Star-Studded Cast
Aside from Ava DeVernay, the film boasts a brilliant crew who have proven themselves as talented filmmakers. The film is written by the incredibly talented Jennifer Lee, who is famous for her work co-directing Frozen (along with Frozen 2 in 2019), as well as writing Wreck-It Ralph and story elements of Zootopia. In addition, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Michael Pena, Rowan Blanchard, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Storm Reid. Disney is obviously not holding back on the magnificent people working behind this film, and there will certainly be no shortage of spectacular talent to find throughout.
Reese Witherspoon; Oprah Winfrey; Mindy Kaling; Storm Reid; Chris Pine; Ava DuVernay
A Stunning, Ambitious Promise
Disney’s trailer for A Wrinkle in Time has no shortage of creative ambition and nearly every frame of it is bursting with visual eye-candy. While it’s difficult to get a clear grasp on the unusual world of this film, it’s clear that if only for the level of visual creativity and unusual story direction this film is taking, audiences are in for a real treat.
Disney is Testing Their Ability with Creative Titles
Disney has done brilliant work with Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the company’s focus on making strong original movies has been dealt with significantly less when they have the ability to crank out one billion-dollar Marvel blockbuster after another. With A Wrinkle in Time, Disney puts that ability to the test and puts forward an ambitious, creative title from an up-and-coming director. The reason why so many of us became Disney fans is because we fell in love with the incredibly ambitious and creative films of Disney at some point within the last seventy years. It’s always promising to see Disney continue to be creative in new ways, even when those ways aren’t billion-dollar bets. Therefore, this film is incredibly exciting, as it’s Disney stepping out of their comfort zone to deliver something fresh, new and incredible, and if there’s anything I’m certain of, I’m sure it’s going to deliver spectacularly.
In the meantime, we’ll just have to watch this trailer on repeat until the film hits theaters in North America on March 9th, 2017.