While recently earning a Golden Globe for her work on the hit television show Empire, Taraji P. Henson is also gaining new opportunities to exude her acting chops. She may be considering portraying Katherine Johnson, an African-American woman known for her mathematical prowess, in Fox 2000’s Hidden Figures.
With so much attention on the lack of diversity in Hollywood lately, it seems fitting for the studio to take on this project. The film is an adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race.
Johnson, along with her fellow female collaborators Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, used their knowledge to become a vital reason why NASA was able to send John Glenn into space as the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. The story clashes gender and race in a historic event in the United States history. Ted Melfi (St. Vincent) will direct with production done by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment. As well as Donna Gigliotti of Levantine Films.
Henson, outside of her breakout success on Empire, received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in David Fincher’s 2008 period drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Other notable films roles include Baby Boy (2001), the Oscar-winning Hustle & Flow (2005), Talk to Me (2007) and I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009).
January 13, 2017 is the expected release day set by Fox.
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