posted 07-11-2015 09:29 AM               

Shetterly's "Hidden Figures" tells the untold true story of the African American women mathematicians - Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Kathryn Peddrew, Sue Wilder, Eunice Smith and Barbara Holley - who worked at NASA during the Civil Rights era. The book will tell their story through the personal accounts of 4 specific women that then-NASA staffers referred to as "the colored computers." Shetterly, whose father was one of the first African American engineers employed by NASA, is a journalist.

According to Deadline, the book was optioned and developed by producer Donna Gigliotti (producer of Oscar-caliber fare like "Shakespeare In Love" and "Silver Linings Playbook"), with Allison Schroeder penning the screenplay adaptation, which Fox is in talks to acquire, with an early 2016 production start date eyed.

Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Taraji P. Henson are said to be all on the producer's short list of actresses for starring roles in the film...

posted 02-12-2016 06:06 AM               

“Empire” star Taraji P. Henson will play mathematics genius Katherine Johnson in "Hidden Figures" for Fox 2000.

The studio has been developing the adaptation of the Margot Lee Shetterly book "Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race," published by HarperCollins.

"St. Vincent" director Ted Melfi is attached to direct. Producers are Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping through Chernin Entertainment; Donna Gigliotti of Levantine Films; and Melfi.

This project is so important. Honored to portray Katherine Johnson.

Katherine G. Johnson (born August 26, 1918) is an American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician who contributed to America's aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA. Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, she calculated the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon.

posted 02-17-2016 09:00 PM               

Fox is planning to release the film Jan. 13, 2017, to coincide with the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

...Spencer is one of the voices of Disney’s "Zootopia" and also wrapped "The Gift," a drama directed by Marc Webb and starring Chris Evans.

posted 03-09-2016 11:12 AM               

One of our favorite musicians, Janelle Monae, is co-starring in a movie about the African American women who helped launch America into space, alongside Person of Interest's Taraji P. Henson.

Hidden Figures comes out in January 2017, on Martin Luther King Day weekend ... Henson is playing Katherine Johnson, Octavia Spencer is playing Dorothy Vaughan, and Monae is playing the youngest of the three, Mary Jackson. The film is being directed by Ted Melfi.

posted 04-01-2016 08:11 PM               

Kevin Costner and Kirsten Dunst are also starring with Ted Melfi directing.

...Parsons will play the head engineer at the Space Task Group at NASA.

He continues to be seen on the hit show “The Big Bang Theory,” which has earned him four Lead Actor Emmys in its run.

posted 05-05-2016 10:06 PM               

As part of the ceremony, "Hidden Figures" cast members Janelle Monáe, Octavia Spencer and Taraji P. Henson sent their congratulations to Johnson by this video:

posted 08-14-2016 09:25 PM               

Someone help me out.

posted 08-15-2016 01:16 AM               

'Hidden Figures' trailer reveals space race history of black women at NASA

In the first trailer for the upcoming 20th Century Fox movie "Hidden Figures," Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan find themselves stuck on the side of an empty country road as an officer pulls up behind their car.

"We are just on our way to work, at NASA," says Johnson, portrayed by Taraji P. Henson.

"I had no idea they hired—" the cop begins to reply, before being cut off by Vaughan (Octavia Spencer).

"There are quite a few women working in the space program," she says, before he can react to the color of their skin.

posted 08-15-2016 11:25 AM               

Articles based on that visit will come out closer to the movie's release in January.

Here is the movie poster, released today:

posted 08-26-2016 10:48 AM               

Kate Rubins also shared birthday greetings from aboard the International Space Station:

posted 11-14-2016 02:26 PM               

Hidden Figures, it's time to share your stories! PepsiCo and 21st Century Fox are partnering to find the next generation of women who will lead the way in STEM. If you're a female with talent in STEM who hasn't yet been recognized for her great work or potential, this is your chance: Tell us how you'll use STEM to change the world, and you could win $50,000 in scholarship money, plus exciting opportunities that will help you pursue the work you love. We have two opportunities — junior and professional — so choose the age group that's right for you and apply by Dec. 10!

posted 11-16-2016 08:04 AM               

Watch the new trailer for "Hidden Figures" and pre-order "Hidden Figures: The Album" on Apple Music now!

posted 12-01-2016 07:59 PM               

Janelle Monáe introduces the world to Mary Jackson, who worked at NASA Langley Research Center during the Project Mercury.

posted 12-04-2016 03:09 AM               

The premiere was held on Thursday (Dec. 1) at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, VA, with Katherine Johnson in attendance. An advanced screening with the cast was held in Atlanta, where much of the film was shot, in November.

posted 12-26-2016 04:00 PM               

'Hidden Figures': 'The Right Stuff' vs. real stuff in new film about NASA history

There is a scene in the new feature film "Hidden Figures" where Octavia Spencer, portraying a real-life NASA mathematician, leads a group of her fellow African American women "computers" down a hall towards their new assignment.

The scene, which represents a moment of empowerment in the movie, evokes a civil rights march. But it also mimics an iconic clip from a 1983 feature film that was set during the same events in history, but with a different focus.

posted 12-27-2016 11:15 AM               

Most of the changes can be attributed to condensing the timeline and amalgamating characters, even among the three primary figures. Overall, the movie serves as a good, engaging and entertaining introduction to the history of the "human computers," but it is not (as director Ted Melfi says) a documentary.

The comparison to "The Right Stuff" in the article was purposeful; it is much more in the spirit of that film, which is held up an example of excellent historical fiction.

posted 01-05-2017 12:00 AM               

'Hidden Figures': When did John Glenn ask for 'the girl' to check the numbers?

"Get the girl to check the numbers."

With those seven words, spoken by astronaut John Glenn before he became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962, Katherine Johnson's role in history changed.

posted 01-06-2017 12:00 AM               

Five NASA history easter eggs in 'Hidden Figures'

The 20th Century Fox film "Hidden Figures" tells the untold story of the African-American women who worked for NASA as "human computers" in the early days of space race.

...the film as a whole is a nod to NASA's early years, but the filmmakers also included several "hidden" tributes to other history-making individuals, iconic photographs and even a few authentic artifacts. Here are five space history "easter eggs" you might not catch in "Hidden Figures."

posted 01-07-2017 01:50 PM               

Right now Hidden Figures is off to a great start as the Ted Melfi-directed feature about the African American mathematicians behind astronaut John Glenn's NASA launch also earned an A+ CinemaScore — a rare grade that few (if any) major studio titles earned last year. And it got an A+ with both male and females and every age group, which is extremely rare.

...also helping Hidden Figures is its Rotten Tomatoes score of 92% fresh. It still has the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday coming up so the legs for this movie should be strong.

"The film is crossing over," asserts one observer, while another adds, "What Fox did was unprecedented. 'Hidden Figures' jumped from 25 screens in 15 cities and that was a very risky move. If it didn't catch, they would have been screwed. But they took the risk and it's paid off."

posted 01-07-2017 08:44 PM               

Even those that know little of the US space program will after 10 minutes know not only what will happen but also know the path it will take to get there. It's a straight connect the dots movie that comes across as a made for cable TV movie not a theatrical film. There is no real payoff, drama or surprises.

This film has every cliched character and situation imaginable.

It seems like a waste of good actors when there is little for them to do.

posted 01-08-2017 08:28 AM               

I saw the movie "Hidden Figures" tonight and it was excellent. Great story told very well. Sure, I could nitpick, after all I wrote two books about Langley's history and did quite a bit with the story of the "human computers" in those books 20-30 years ago. I see where the filmmakers took their liberties with the facts. But the power of the drama and the importance of the social and human message overrides all of my nitpicking with the movie, anyway. I definitely recommend seeing it. — James Hansen, historian and author

I loved this movie. I laughed and I cried, and most importantly, the movie helped me get to know a group of people whose accomplishments I’d never fully recognized. They were a unique group of mathematicians who pioneered the calculations that sent humans to space, as well as the computations associated with state-of-the-art principles of aeronautics. Those mathematicians, or “Computers” as they were called, just happened to be women, hundreds of them, and "Hidden Figures" focuses on the truly significant accomplishments of the African-American women in that group, and specifically on Katherine Johnson. — Cady Coleman, astronaut

Saw a terrific movie last night: "Hidden Figures". A late celebration of some truly remarkable women who helped build our space program. It's a truly uplifting story that has taken too long to get told. I never promote but this one is a must. — Jim Reilly, astronaut

Saw "Hidden Figures" today. Wish I could have met these pioneering women, and thanked them for their intelligence, integrity and courage. They laid the foundations for my own Spaceflight. Go see this movie!! — Kathy Sullivan, astronaut

First thoughts after seeing "Hidden Figures"... Great movie. I watched it from so many perspectives: as a former NASA scientist, as an African American working in a scientific field in which unfortunately I am still a "1st" or "2nd" too often, and as a fan of the drama/space genre of movie. Five thoughts:

1. It is just a great entertaining movie no matter what your background is. All of the key actors/actresses did a nice job.

2. Every person, even those under the scar of segregation, had so much pride in what the U.S. was trying to achieve for the country with the Space Race.

3. It made me wonder how many other great ideas/advances that could benefit society were missed out on because a large percentage of this country's brightest minds were not free to share and engage in science, business, and policy. This is why I find schools, communities, and teams that have diverse make up to be for more engaging and important than ones that all "look" the same. Different perspectives bring fresh ideas.

4. It also was an interesting look at the struggle that some in society face when they know/see things that are wrong but internally grapple with turning a blind eye or changing it (even if not popular).

5. It pointed out that feeling that some of you reading this have felt when you walked into the room and some are immediately questioning in their minds why you are in the room or if it is at the expense of someone else.

No matter what your background is, I think you will enjoy it. Ayana Shepherd and I have now declared it a mandatory watch for our kids. — Marshall Shepherd, host of Weather Geeks at The Weather Channel

posted 01-08-2017 10:42 AM               

Fox showed Hidden Figures grossing an estimated $21.8 million from 2,471 theaters, while Disney jumped that number and put Rogue One's haul at $22 million from 4,157 locations for a massive domestic total of $477.3 million. The official outcome won't be settled until Monday morning, although most rival studios show Hidden Figures narrowly edging out Rogue One.

posted 01-09-2017 09:47 AM               

Empowered women and outer space dominated the North American box office over the weekend as Theodore Melfi's biographical drama "Hidden Figures" orbited past "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" to win the race with $22.8 million.

Sunday morning estimates had showed the two films all but tying for the No. 1 spot with roughly $22 million each but "Hidden Figures," playing in 4,157 theaters, did more business than expected throughout the day.

posted 01-09-2017 12:30 PM               

NASA's historic first mission control center recreated for 'Hidden Figures'

NASA's original mission control briefly returns to service, recreated for the 20th Century Fox film "Hidden Figures," seven years after the historic facility was demolished and two months after its contents reopened on public display as part of a new attraction.

The Mercury Control Center (MCC), which was founded at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, was active for the first seven U.S. human spaceflights, from May 1961 to March 1965. As the first of its kind, the MCC debuted the now iconic layout — tiered rows of consoles and an orbital tracking map at the front of the room — which became the model for NASA flight facilities and mission control centers around the world.

posted 01-15-2017 03:44 PM               

The stars and production team behind "Hidden Figures" detail where they found all the period looks needed for the film. The NASA scenes, for example, were actually shot at five different locations. Check it out!

posted 01-16-2017 10:23 AM               

We are all aware that John Glenn was instructed to not jettison the retro-package in response to the heat shield separation light.