DuVernay, who is African-American, told Entertainment Weekly. I was interested in … a heroine that looked like the girls I grew up with. DuVernay said she identified with some progressive ideas she found in L'Engle's novel. She's a very radical thinker and she embedded her sense of what society should and could be in this piece, and a lot of it I agree with. But does that mean her adaptation will adopt a political tone ? Experts say we shouldn't jump to any conclusions about whatDuVernay’s final film will look like. Freelance journalist Orrin Konheim, who has written for The American Conservative, noted that many films, including The Manchurian Candidate, have been remade with African-American stars. Ava DuVernay’s casting choice seems like a non-issue.