Disney Created Compton’s Only Cinema So Ava DuVernay Could Show A Wrinkle in Time to Local Kids
March 3, 2018Ava DuVernay brought a little bit of magic to her hometown of Compton with the first public screening of her new film A Wrinkle in Time.
The director asked Disney to help her host the screen and with no movie theatres in the Los Angeles’ neighborhood, Disney created the next best thing — delighting young fans with a theater experience inside of a local community center.
“I asked @Disney if the first public screening of #WrinkleinTime could be in my hometown of Compton,” she tweeted on Friday, along with a video of cheering fans. “They created a theater experience with fab sound + picture quality out of a community center since there are no movie theaters in Compton. I thank them. And these kids do too.”
I asked @Disney if the first public screening of #WrinkleinTime could be in my hometown of Compton. They created a theater experience with fab sound + picture quality out of a community center since there are no movie theaters in Compton. I thank them. And these kids do too. pic.twitter.com/grzHoRJAHX
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 2, 2018
In a second tweet, she added, “My thanks to the Mayor @AjaLBrown and the glorious City of Compton for welcoming me home so warmly. xo! #WrinkleinTime #WrinkleinCompton”
My thanks to the Mayor @AjaLBrown and the glorious City of Compton for welcoming me home so warmly. xo! #WrinkleinTime #WrinkleinCompton pic.twitter.com/NLOetYY9KU
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 2, 2018
The film, based on the book by Madeleine L’Engle, has been highly anticipated and stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine and Storm Reid, 14, in the titular role.
Winfrey, 64, told PEOPLE in the latest cover story that working on the film was “one of the best experiences of my career.”
“I love Ava’s vision that this is a film about young women, people who are willing to step up and be warriors,” the mogul said.
Watch People Cover Story: Oprah Winfrey, available now, on PeopleTV. Go to PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite mobile or connected TV device. And look for PEOPLE’s new special edition, The Complete Guide to ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ with exclusive photos and interviews with all the stars, available March 2 wherever magazines are sold.
The inspirational message of the film, out March 9, also extends to an optimistic hope for the world in the midst of turmoil. Winfrey said she reflected on this while filming thanks to her character’s timely dialogue.
“My character actually says the words, ‘The darkness is spreading so fast these days. The only thing faster than light is the darkness,'” she said. “When I said that, I was thinking about all of the protesting going on all over the world. I had images in my head of specific violent acts being committed against groups of people.”
RELATED VIDEO: Oprah Winfrey Explains Why A Wrinkle in Time’s ‘Be a Warrior’ Message Matters
Winfrey stars as Mrs. Which, a celestial being who helps Reid’s Meg on an intergalactic quest to find her father and helps her gain the confidence to fight the forces of evil. Costars Witherspoon (Mrs. Whatsit) and Kaling (Mrs. Who) play her quirky compatriots.
Winfrey is ready to be recognized for something totally different by the youngest moviegoers.
“I understand for sure that there will be generations of children who will see this movie and will never know that I had a talk show and I had a whole other life,” she said. “That for generations of children, now I will be Mrs. Which. That’s fun.”