Idris Elba, Star Wars' John Boyega, Mary J Blige  and actress Emma Watson are among the record 683 invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.


The new list has been issued following the 'whitewash' scandal at the last Academy Awards where a second straight year of all-white acting nominees inflamed an industry-wide crisis.

This year's list is almost double that of 2015's 322 invitations, which was also an increase on the 271 invited in 2014, according to Hollywood Reporter.