Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is about to hit the big screen under the direction of Ava DuVernay. However, the classic sci-fi story is already no stranger to the world of adaptations. A Wrinkle in Time has provided the basis for countless other science fiction and fantasy stories over the years, and it even received its own TV movie back in 2003. Having said that, even with a previous film version of the story in the zeitgeist, it sounds like new Meg Murry actress Storm Reid specifically stayed away from any reference material because she wanted to make the character her own. During a visit to the set last year, Reid addressed her approach to Meg Murry and told CinemaBlend:
I really looked at Meg in the book. I didn't look at the previous A Wrinkle in Time movie. I wrote ideas down from the book, but I didn't really want to copy that Meg. We're the same, but we're different, at the same time. I wanted to make myself Meg. I didn't want to use somebody else or use a reference. The main things that people love and know about the book, I want to have those things, but I still want to have my own little quirks.
Based on those remarks it seems like people who have seen the 2003 TV movie version of A Wrinkle in Time (which featured Katie Stuart in the role of Meg Murry) still won't know exactly what to expect from Storm Reid's version of the bookish heroine. Reid wanted to inject herself into the role, which required her to avoid referencing someone else. Beyond that, she wrote down ideas from the book, but took very special steps to prevent any attempt to "copy that Meg."
Another aspect of this decision to steer clear of previous versions of Meg Murry likely stems from the fact that Ava DuVernay is very clearly approaching A Wrinkle in Time as its own entity this time around. In other interviews during last year's visit to the set, DuVernay made a point to highlight the fact that her take on the story is intentionally meant to feel unlike anything else in the Disney canon, and Mrs. Whatsit actress Reese Witherspoon built upon that idea by noting the number of aesthetic and narrative changes that the Selma director has opted to include in her incarnation of the tale.
If you want a closer look at Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time, then check out a trailer for the highly-anticipated Disney adaptation, below!
Storm Reid will debut her unique take on Meg Murry when Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time hits theaters next month on March 9! Tickets for the film are now on sale, so make sure to get yours and start getting ready for this iconic sci-fi adventure!
