Ava DuVernay Is Now Casting For Her 'Central Park Five' Mini-Series

Ava DuVernay is looking for actors to star in her 'Central Park Five' mini-series for Netflix.

Ava DuVernay
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Image via Getty/Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Ava DuVernay

When Ava DuVernay isn't directing fantasy/sci-fi films like A Wrinkle in Time (and the upcoming New Gods), she's steeped in harsh reality. First, there was Selma, a film centered around the voting rights marches during the civil rights movement, then she created Netflix's 13th, which focuses on the mass incarceration of African-Americans. Now, she'll tackle the tragic case of the Central Park Five for the streaming platform.

"The search begins...," she tweeted with a link to a casting call description. 

Identical to the original group of five teenage boys who were falsely accused and jailed for physically abusing and raping a jogger in the famed park, DuVernay is looking for four African-American actors and one person of mixed Puerto-Rican and African-American ethnicity.

But the casting call states DuVernay is committed to being inclusive.

"For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin or any other basis prohibited by law unless otherwise specifically indicated," it reads.

In order to apply, aspiring actors are urged to send a picture, resume, city and state of residence, and contact information to centralparkfivecasting@gmail.com. The casting call description also states that scanned photos are acceptable in lieu of a professional headshot.

The casting call comes two days after the 29th anniversary of the tragic incident, which DuVernay spoke about in a tweet.

"On this day in 1989, Trisha Meili was beaten and raped in Central Park. Five black and brown boys - Korey, Antron, Raymond, Kevin and Yusef - were arrested, tried, convicted + sentenced to prison. @RealDonaldTrump called for their death. They were innocent," read DuVernay's tweet with a photo of Trump's '80s full page ad.

Check out the casting information above

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