Taraji P. Henson will star in ‘Hidden Figures,’ a film that tells the true story of three African American female mathematicians and scientists. Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe will also star in the film to tell the trilogy history of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Hidden Figures shows moviegoers the inspiring journey of three women whose work for NASA solidified the success of the agency’s Mercury and Apollo missions. According to Deadline.com… “Johnson in particular calculated the trajectories for Project Mercury and for the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, and all three were instrumental in advancing computer science in the United States.” “The story focuses on the work and challenges behind the successful spaceflight of astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. The film will be the first time the contributions of African American scientists to that effort have been the focus of story about the space race on film.” The film is based on the nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly. Theodore Melfi serves as director of the film and script co-writer alongside Allison Schroeder. Additional cast includes Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell. Hidden Figures will hit theaters on January 13, 2017.
