A Wrinkle in Time, the big screen Disney adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved children's novel, is arriving in theaters this week. Directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma), this is the first movie directed by an African American woman with a budget over $100m. Jennifer Lee, the co-director of Disney’s mega-hit Frozen, is on screenwriting duties. Even by Disney's standards, the ensemble of this fantasy epic is an impressively A-List affair. From Oscar winners to TV favorites to total unknowns, A Wrinkle in Time has the kind of cast most movies would kill for, so where do you recognize them from?
Storm Reid is Meg Murry
While 14-year-old Storm Reid is not a newcomer to film or TV, the role of protagonist Meg Murry is certainly her biggest project. Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted her in the Oscar-winning drama 12 Years a Slave. Her TV credits include Chicago P.D. and NCIS: Los Angeles. This year, she'll also be seen in the Blumhouse thriller Only You, starring David Oyelowo (Gringo).
Related: A Wrinkle in Time Gets 2 New Visually Stunning Posters
Oprah Winfrey is Mrs. Which
It’s safe to say that you know who Oprah is. The iconic talk-show host has worn many hats, from actress to producer to philanthropist to media mogul. As an actress, she's racked up some impressive credits. Her debut performance in The Color Purple landed her an Oscar nomination, and she's done critically acclaimed work in Jonathan Demme's criminally underrated drama Beloved. Having retired from hosting her wildly popular show, she returned to acting more regularly, with a SAG Award-nominated turn in Lee Daniels's The Butler, followed by her first team-up with Ava DuVernay in Selma. Her voice can also be heard in Disney's The Princess and the Frog. As Mrs. Which, she becomes a full celestial being who guides Meg in her journey to find her father.
Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit
Witherspoon has taken on many mantles during her long and successful career: From child star to America’s sweetheart to Oscar winner to powerhouse producer. After making her name in films like Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, she picked up the Best Actress award for playing June Carter in Walk the Line. This year, she won a Golden Globe for producing the HBO smash Big Little Lies, which she also starred in. You may have also spotted her producer credits in Gone Girl and Wild, the latter of which she also starred in. Playing the youngest of the Mrs. Ws (although she's still over 2 billion years old), Witherspoon's Mrs. Whatsit is the closest to the children as they are sent on their quest.
Mindy Kaling is Mrs. Who
Kaling has the most fun role of the three Mrs. Ws, as she's the one who speaks only in other people's quotes. In the novel, she quotes Dante, the Bible and Shakespeare, although we have also been informed that she'll spout a few Jay-Z one-liners in the film. Having emerged as a break-out star on NBC's The Office - a show she also wrote for - Kaling made history by becoming the first Indian-American woman to create, star in and run her own sitcom. The Mindy Project ran for five years and ended in 2017. Since then, Kaling has finished filming a main role in the upcoming Ocean’s 8. She’s also written two New York Times best-selling books.
Chris Pine is Dr. Alex Murry
The disappearance of Meg's father, a physicist researching five-dimensional forms of the space/time continuum, is the catalyst for the novel's plot. It's another high-profile role for Chris Pine, an actor who's certainly used to them. Between playing Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot trilogy, appearing alongside Wonder Woman last year, and landing major critical acclaim for 2016's Hell or High Water, Pine has certainly kept busy. This year, he can also be seen in Netflix's Outlaw King, where he'll play Robert the Bruce, and the mini-series One Day She'll Darken, executive produced by Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins.
Related: A Wrinkle in Time: AMC & Color of Change Reveal New Initiative
Levi Miller is Calvin O’Keefe
Friend to the Murry children and budding telepathic, Calvin O'Keefe accompanies Meg and her brother on their journey to save their father. The Brisbane born teen actor Levi Miller was last seen in the Australian drama Jasper Jones. American viewers may - or may not - be more familiar with his starring role in Joe Wright's mega-flop Pan.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Dr. Kate Murry
Meg’s mother is described as being otherworldly beautiful and intelligent, something that gives her daughter an inferiority complex. In fairness, Gugu Mbatha-Raw could instill that in anyone. The multiple award-winning actress was nominated as one of the BAFTA award's rising stars of 2015, thanks to her breakout roles in Belle and Beyond the Lights. More recently, she appeared in Netflix's The Cloverfield Paradox and the break-out episode of Black Mirror, San Junipero.
Other Recognizable Actors in A Wrinkle in Time’s Cast
Zack Galifanakis is the Happy Medium: In the novel, the Happy Medium is a woman who helps the children understand what they're fighting against. This time around, he's played by the star of The Hangover trilogy and FX's Baskets.
Michael Peña is the Man with Red Eyes: The big baddie of the story will be familiar to viewers thanks to David Ayer's End of Watch, Ridley Scott's The Martian, and of course, his role as Luis in Ant-Man.
André Holland is Principal Jenkins: The minor role of the cold and stern principal of Meg's high school offers another exciting choice to see André Holland on the big screen. His most famous credits include the role of Kevin in Moonlight and Dr. Algernon Edwards in The Knick. He previously worked with Ava DuVernay in Selma.
Rowan Blanchard is Veronica Riley: Former Disney Channel star Blanchard played the leading role in Girl Meets World and has a recurring part in ABC sitcom The Goldbergs.