A Wrinkle in Time

Aunt Beast

Between takes: Ellen as Aunt Beast with David Dorfman ( saluting), and the director and some of the cast

A Winkle in Time BookThe highly anticipated movie-version of A Wrinkle In Time is the winner of the 2003 Best Feature Film Award at the Toronto Children's Film Festival! The following is from the film festivals press release:

"John Kent Harrison's A WRINKLE IN TIME (Canada) won the Feature Film Award. Adapted from the classic book by Madeleine L'Engle, the film A WRINKLE IN TIME combines science fiction, romance, and adventure into a brilliant, multifaceted story. When Dr. Jack Murray, a world-renowned physicist, and his friend Hank experiment with fifth-dimension time travel and suddenly disappear, Murray's children and neighbor embark on a perilous quest with three celestial beings as their guides to find the missing scientists. The Feature Film Award was chosen by Sprockets audiences."

 

 

The Wonderful World Of Disney "A Wrinkle In Time" aired on Monday, May 10, 2004....and it was fabulous!!!

A Wrinkle in TimePress Release March 26th., 2003:

TORONTO -- The world premiere of John Kent Harrison's "A Wrinkle in Time," based on the classic book by Madeleine L'Engle, has been scheduled to open the sixth installment of the Sprockets Toronto International Festival for Children, which is organized by the Toronto International Film Festival. 

The event, billed as North America's largest kids festival, will hand out five awards at the end of its April 25-May 4 run. This year's lineup comprises 17 features and 54 shorts representing 21 countries and 15 languages, according to the lineup fest organizers unveiled Tuesday at a Toronto press conference. "Wrinkle," a U.S./U.K./Canadian co-production about three kids on a perilous quest to distant worlds to find a missing physicist, stars David Dorfman, Kyle Secor and Sarah-Jane Redmond.

 

 

A Wrinkle in Time (four-hour miniseries)

"One of the most amazing experiences I've ever been involved with. ~ Ellen Dubin

Emmy winner Alfred Woodard, Kate Nelligan and Alison Elliott lead the cast of "A Wrinkle in Time," an ABC four-hour miniseries based on the classic children's book by Madeleine L'Engle. The miniseries produced by BLT Prods. and Fireworks International is to be distributed by Miramax Television in association with Dimension Films.

This marks the first TV adaptation of the 1962 novel. "A Wrinkle in Time" had been in development as a feature at Miramax for years before it was revamped as a miniseries for Miramax's Disney sibling ABC. The miniseries is presently set to air on consecutive Sunday nights in the Spring of 2002 as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney." The series was directed by John Kent Harrison and co-stars Kyle Secor, Chris Potter, Sarah-Jane Redmond, David Dorfman, Katie Stuart, Gregory Smith and Ellen Dubin as Aunt Beast. This marks Miramax and Dimension's foray into longform television. 

A Wrinkle in Time Photographs

Aunt Beast
Ellen Dubin as Aunt Beast, comforting the female lead's character, played by Katie Stuart.

Aunt Beast
Ellen Dubin ( Aunt Beast ) with David Dorfman.

Getting ready
Candid shot of Ellen as the blind, loving Aunt Beast, opposite star Alfre Woodard,
as Mrs. Whatsit. They are in the "Ice Palace" set of "A Wrinkle in Time."

Aunt Beast

Ellen wearing an upper fat suit for her role
as "Aunt Beast" in ABC's "A Wrinkle in Time".

Aunt Beast is a very graceful, elegant, healing, compassionate beast who loves children. As the character, Ellen was required to wear 2 fat suits, heavy prosthetics and lots of hair. It proved to be quite the experience. Ellen quoted in a radio broadcast, "I made Planet of the Apes look like bald men." To prepare for the part, Ellen had to endure seven (yes, I said 7) hours of prosthetic work.

A WRINKLE IN TIME"- Mini Series, has been produced for Miramax/ ABC/ Disney. The mini-series is based on the children's novel of the same name & written by Madeleine L'Engle. Aunt Beast is a very graceful, elegant, healing, compassionate beast who loves children. As the character, Ellen was required to wear 2 fat suits, heavy prosthetics and lots of hair. It proved to be quite the experience.  Ellen maintained, "I made the apes in Planet of the Apes look like they are bald."


prosthetics

In this newly release photo, you can see Ellen in the process of becoming Aunt Beast. Here is the first stage of the face prosthetics. The artist is applying a mask of latex to glue on the hair pieces. Ellen is obvious a very versatile actress. I can almost hear them now...."Ask Ellen, she'll wear anything."  *snicker* Ah Ellen, that's one of the many reasons we love ya!

Aunt Beast   Aunt Beast

Ellen getting into her fat suit for Aunt Beast. I know for a fact that a suit like this is hot. (what, you didn't think scifisuzi ever dressed in a costume before?) I just had to ask Ellen how they kept her cool. She told me, "They would put me in a cooling room on breaks and put a hose near my stomach that would shoot out cold air. It helped a little bit but man it was very hot." Yellow Dog has worn some pretty heavy costumes, and they used to pop his butt in the freezer during breaks too. Mind you, I have never worn anything this elaborate....look at the picture, and all the costuming on her head! "A Wrinkle in Time" was such a treat to watch!!