Reposted from The Hollywood Reporter
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who starred in 2014’s Beyond the Lights, is joining the high-profile cast of Disney’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time in a key role.
Ava DuVernay is directing the project, which has a script by Frozen writer and co-director Jennifer Lee. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling are the A-listers surrounding rising actress Storm Reid, who is leading the cast of the studio’s take on Madeleine L’Engle’s children’s book.
The Newbery Medal-winning book centers on Meg Murry (Reid), a young girl traumatized by the disappearance of her scientist father years before. She finds herself on an interplanetary journey with a schoolmate and her younger brother to find her father. They are aided by a trio of supernatural beings, Mrs. Whatsit (Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Winfrey).
In a nod to modern America, the studio has made the family mixed-race. Mbatha-Raw will play the mother, made anxious over losing her husband, who will be played by Chris Pine.
Mbatha-Raw is finding herself in demand this year. She worked with Disney earlier in 2016 on its live-action reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, which will be released in March, and recently wrapped the J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi thriller God Particle. The actress, who co-starred opposite Will Smith in Concussion, will next be seen with Jessica Chastain in EuropaCorp’s gun drama Miss Sloane.
Mbatha-Raw is repped by CAA.
