In 1962 as astronaut John Glenn was heading into orbit, it was three African-American women – Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – whose mathematical excellence helped get him into space. Hidden Figures, Theodore Melfi’s biographical drama, explores the little-known true story of how these three women overcame both gender and racial barriers and helped contribute one of NASA’s most successful missions. Taraji P. Henson (a former Oscar nominee for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and two-time Emmy nominee for Empire), Octavia Spencer (an Oscar winner for The Help) and Janelle Monáe star as Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson, respectively.
The first trailer for Hidden Figures landed tonight highlighting a crowd-pleasing tone and a straightforward approach to this previously untapped story. The trailer premiered during Sunday’s primetime coverage of the Summer Olympics in Rio. Melfi (St. Vincent) directs and co-wrote the screenplay alongside Allison Schroeder based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly. The impressive ensemble cast includes Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Mahershala Ali (House of Cards), Kevin Costner (Draft Day) and Glenn Powell (Everybody Wants Some!!) as John Glenn.
Fox will open Hidden Figures on January 13, 2017. That release date raises the question on whether or not the distributor will try and sneak the film into the awards fray. We shall wait and see how that unfolds. For now, check out the first trailer for Hidden Figures below.