Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle In Time Crosses $100M, 1st Black Female To Join ListPosted by Wilson Morales
June 18, 2018
After 101 days in theaters, Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time has grossed over $100M domestically at the box office, making the acclaimed director the first Black female and the 13th African American to cross the century mark. Film critic Carrie Rickey also pointed out that it’s fitting that the film, about a teenage girl searching for her dad, would make the mark on Father’s Day yesterday.
Starring Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Chris Pine, Wrinkle is an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic, takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.
“This is a story about belonging,” said DuVernay during the release of the film. “It’s about a girl who just doesn’t feel strong in her mind, body and spirit. But through this epic journey, she finds her strength and learns that the center of the universe starts inside her. It’s about Meg feeling like she belongs in the universe and has a mighty part to play… as do we all.”
Released on March 9, the film took in $33.1 during its opening weekend, behind Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and marking the first time two films directed by African Americans landed in the 1-2 position at the box office.
Although the film wasn’t a critical favorite, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%, audiences in time came out to support the filmmaker and her vision. At a time when Black Panther was slaying everyone at the box office, with Red Sparrow, Tomb Raider, and Pacific Rim: Uprising not living up to its financial expectations domestically, Wrinkle kept bringing in families over its time.
DuVernay joins Ryan Coogler, F. Gary Gray, Tim Story, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Jordan Peele, Malcolm D. Lee, John Singleton, Clark Johnson, Lee Daniels, Antoine Fuqua, Peter Ramsey, and Sidney Poitier as the only African American directors with $100M grossing films.
DuVernay credited Disney on her Twitter account, giving praise to the studio for keeping the film in theaters for a long stretch of time,
Thanks to @Disney for believing in the film from Day One to Weekend 15. Could have easily written it off. They never did. And thanks to all the kids and families who’ve continued to see the film in theaters. Tesser well. xo https://t.co/Z3B8fFK0y9
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) June 17, 2018
Here are the other African American directors whose films grossed $100M domestically and the amount of days it took.
Ryan Coogler’s 2018 Black Panther (2 Days, $699.6M and counting)
F. Gary Gray’s 2017 The Fate of the Furious (4 Days, $225M total domestic cume)
F. Gary Gray’s 2015 Straight Outta Compton (9 Days, $161M)
Tim Story’s 2005 Fantastic Four (10 days, $154M)
Tim Story’s 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (12 days, $131M)
Keenan Ivory Wayans’s 2000 Scary Movie (14 days, $157M )
Jordan Peele’s 2017 Get Out (16 days, $175M)
Malcolm D. Lee’s 2017 Girl Trip (28 days, $140M)
John Singleton’s 2003 2 Fast 2 Furious (17 days, $127M)
Tim Story’s 2014 Ride Along (23 days, $134M)
Clark Johnson’s 2003 S.W.A.T (24 days, ($116M)
Ryan Coogler’s 2015 Creed (38 Days, $109M)
Lee Daniels with 2013 Lee Daniels’ The Butler (46 days, $116M)
Antoine Fuqua’s 2014 The Equalizer (66 days, $101M)
Peter Ramsey’s 2012 Rise of the Guardians (67 days, $103M)
F. Gary Gray’s 2003 The Italian Job (95 days, $106.1M)
Sidney Poitier’s 1980 Stir Crazy took in a domestic total $101.3M but there are no records that show how many days it took to reach that mark. It’s worth noting “Crazy” was the first time a film directed by an African-American earned more than $100 million.
