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Actress GuGu Mbatha-Raw is one of the many talented women casted in the highly anticipated Disney film A Wrinkle in Time directed by Ava Duvernay. The actress expressed her enthusiasm for the film breaking barriers during her interview with theGrio’s Natasha Alford.
Mbatha-Raw, 34, was born in Oxford, England to a Black South-African father and a Caucasian British mother, so her role as Dr. Kate Murry — a mother and part of a mixed race family — is art imitating life.
“For me it’s just a reality, it’s just the world we live in,” said Mbatha-Raw. “I’m thrilled that such a big company like Disney is embracing it. It’s about time and I think it’s a reflection of the world we live in today.”
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As the the industry continues to evolve and become more diverse, A Wrinkle in Time is also contributing to that change. In an industry dominated by white men, Ava Duvernay is the first woman of color to direct a film with a budget of $100 million, Essence reported in its February issue.
“Well this is a really historic moment,” Mbatha-Raw tells theGrio. “I think that’s not lost on any of us that are apart of this project. I think it’s really a moment where we are pushing boundaries and hopefully opening the door for many many more female driven movies, female filmmakers, directors, writers, to be able to come running through that door and tell as many stories as there are to be told.”
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“Ava is just so dynamic,” says the actress. “I think in a relatively short space of time, she just ascended to this highly regarded status in the industry. She is such a natural leader and really has her vision all over this movie.”
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A Wrinkle in Time — an adaptation of the science fantasy novel written by American writer Madeleine L’Engle — stars Storm Reid as Meg Murry, a young girl who sets off on a quest, with the help of three astral travelers, to find her father who went missing after discovering a new planet.
The film also features Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine and more. It hits theatres Friday, March 9, 2018!
Watch the full interview below.
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