How A Wrinkle in Time Sets a New Standard for Fantasy Films

Imagine the most iconic science fiction film directors, and names like Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas probably spring to mind. Now there's an exciting new member of the fantasy faction: Ava DuVernay, the visionary force behind March's big-screen saga A Wrinkle in Time. Adapted from Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 book of the same name, the movie is about a girl, Meg Murry, who hops through time to rescue her dad from an evil, universe-threatening force. "The book is a tapestry of spirituality and self-empowerment," says DuVernay. "But to then take those elements into the realm of fantasy? I couldn't believe such an opportunity was mine."

That disbelief was justified. The stubborn and shrewd Meg, played by newcomer Storm Reid, might belong in the company of other female dystopian legends like Ellen Ripley and Katniss Everdeen, but the film worlds those women inhabit are almost always crafted by men—and white men, at that. "I knew that as a black female director, my rendering of fantasy would be different," DuVernay says. "I look at Ridley Scott's The Martian and think, Okay, that's one way to portray a planet. But I had to push beyond what other films had done."

For DuVernay, part of the push meant shattering perceptions of what superheroes look like. Enter Oprah, Mindy Kaling, and Reese Witherspoon, who play a squad—Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit—of sage cosmic custodians who protect Meg during her journey. "In the book, the Mrs. are described as three little old ladies," says DuVernay. In the movie, they embody different races, sizes, and cultures (all while decked out in extravagant ensembles). And while L'Engle's decision to make her protagonist a bespectacled tween girl was bold, DuVernay took things a step further. "The first order of business was making Meg biracial," she says. "Viewers who live in households with folks of different hues should be able to enter the film, too. When you're dealing with fantasy, storytellers have no excuse not to embrace new visions." Quantum, meet leap.

Director Ava DuVernay on a hillside in New Zealand, where much of the film was shot. "Beautiful isn't even the word to describe this country," DuVernay says.

"I loved playing the wisest character," says Oprah (here with DuVernay), who drew upon her news-anchoring days to give Mrs. Which her deep, commanding voice. "Wise people never have to raise their voices. There was a scene where Chris Pine, who plays Dr. Murry, wanted me to become agitated, and I told Ava, 'Mrs. Which doesn't get agitated.' When you've been around for millennia, there's no need!"

Reese, as Mrs. Whatsit, in a scene with Deric McCabe, who plays Meg's little brother, Charles Wallace. "Madeleine L'Engle's book is about what's possible," says Reese. "It seems appropriate to be talking about it right now because it asks, How do we become warriors for good in the world?"

The crew setting up near Lake Hawea in Central Otago, New Zealand. "During the first scouting trip, we flew all over in a helicopter and I'd look down, point at interesting things, and then we'd land," says DuVernay. "And after walking around I'd either go, 'Eh, it doesn't look as good from the ground,' or 'This place is incredible! Put it on the list!'"

Storm Reid, 14, as the movie's world-saving middle-schooler, Meg Murry, with Levi Miller, who plays Meg's fellow time traveler, Calvin.

"I've never seen a girl of color like Storm at the center of a giant film like this. It shows so many other little girls they can be in their own adventure, too," says Reese.

Mindy, Oprah and Reese share a serene moment. Not that it was always quiet on the set: The threesome's shared trailer positively thrummed with conversation. "Mindy and Reese are two of the chattiest people I've ever known," says Oprah, dryly. Reese confirms: "If you came into the trailer at 5:30 in the morning hoping for a little bit of silence— absolutely not happening." "I learned to enjoy the talk!" says Oprah. "I got into its rhythm."

Pine—a.k.a. Dr. Murry, Meg's lost-in-space dad—consults with DuVernay.

Oprah with costume designer Paco Delgado (left) standing by.

Oprah greets the crew while shooting a scene on the planet Orion—home to a seer known as the Happy Medium (played by Zach Galifianakis), who lives in a cave. The cast had to walk on massive scaffolding (like the crosslike structure behind Oprah), hence the wire rig attached to her costume for balance.

Oprah's ensemble for the planet Camazotz. "I saw Mrs. Which as a kind of energy," says Delgado. "She's a star in the sky. I wanted her costumes to play with ideas of metal and light."

"This film's message: Everyone has the power to be a carrier of light," Oprah says.

The cast and crew spent two weeks filming on the South Island of New Zealand. "I couldn't keep up with Mindy and Reese there," says Oprah. "They told me, 'First, we're going to a yoga place. And then we're taking a helicopter. And then we're hiking. And then we're going on a boat ride.' They squeezed all the juice out of that orange!"