Oscars in bid to create more diversity

Idris Elba is among hundreds of people invited to join the Academy after the row over lack of diversity among nominees.

A RECORD number of new people have been invited to vote for next year’s Oscars following the row over a lack of diversity.

Luther star Idris Elba and Star Wars actor John Boyega are among 683 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

That is more than double the total invited the previous year.

John Boyega with Daisy Ridley at the Empire Awards

None of the nominees for the best actor and actress and best supporting actor and actress categories at this year’s Oscars was from an ethnic minority.

This prompted film star Will Smith and director Spike Lee to boycott the ceremony in February.

The hashtag OscarSoWhite also became a rallying cry on social media for dissatisfied film stars and fans.

The Academy, which has already pledged to double the number of “women and diverse members” by 2020, said the group of people invited to join was 46% women and 41% “people of colour”.

At the start of 2016, there were 6,261 voting members, with around 92% white and 75% men.

The new group will shift the Academy’s overall membership to 27% women and 11% non-white, it said.

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said the new members represented “the best in our global film community, and who have made a lasting impact on movie fans everywhere”.

“We’re proud to welcome these new members to the academy and know they view this as an opportunity and not just an invitation, a mission and not just a membership,” she said.

“This class continues our long-term commitment to welcoming extraordinary talent reflective of those working in film today.”

Emma Watson, Kate Beckinsale, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Rylance, who won the Oscar for best supporting actor this year, are also among the British stars who have been invited to join the Academy.

Best actress Oscar winner Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander, who was named best supporting actress, have also received invitations, along with British film director Ken Loach.

Larson, who won an Oscar for her role in the kidnap drama Room, expressed her delight on Twitter.

She wrote: “I got in! Excited to use my vote to nominate talent that reflects the real world we live in – DIVERSITY.”

Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, who is also joining the Academy, tweeted: “As a child I’d dream of opportunity 2 express my talent & now I get 2 create opportunity 4 others. Thanks @TheAcademy.” SkyNews.com

Pics from news.sky.com