‘Hidden Figures’ Film, Updates: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer Emotional During Talk at TIFF; Pharrell Promotes Soundtrack, Talks Social Issues

‘Hidden Figures’ stars Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer appeared at the recent Toronto International Film Festival to talk about the upcoming film based on the real-life story of space scientist Katherine Johnson. Pharell Williams, who provided music for the soundtrack, expressed his enthusiasm over his involvement in the powerful new film.

According to Indie Wire, director Theodore Melfi’s upcoming drama film ‘Hidden Figures’ had a 30-minute long preview at the TIFF ahead of its scheduled release on January 13, 2017. It included a press line moderated by TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey that had stars Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer as well as co-producers Pharell Williams and Jeno Toppings in attendance.

Henson turned emotional while discussing the new film where stars as Katherine Johnson, an American physicist, space scientist and mathematician who helped in NASA’s early space missions. She said, “I’m a girl from the hood… When you come from a place where you have no dreams, no hope, all that you see is that people who look like you don’t belong, that they have no place in society, right? This story is important, this story is so important. If I’d known about these women coming up, maybe I would have aspired to be a rocket scientist. Who knows.”

She continued, “Not to say that I’ve had a bad journey… but what I’m trying to say is is that nowadays, this is all that kids of color think they have. Sports. Rap. Acting. And there’s so much more important work to be done, and to be a part of product like [“Hidden Figures”], that will give children like you, and you (pointing to Octavia and Janelle) and me, hope to dream a different dream.”

Spencer, who plays Dorothy Vaughn, added, “I’m sad that Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson (portrayed by Monae) won’t be here to see this thing… I’m excited that Katharine Johnson will.”

Melfi’s film is based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s non-fiction book of the same name. It follows three African-American female scientists who helped NASA launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit in the year 1962.

Henson admitted that although the film is speculated to compete in the Oscars, she only hoped for Johnson’s approval. According to Entertainment Weekly, she said, “Is Katherine gonna be happy? That’s all I care about. Will she be proud? Will she be proud of the work that I did? All of these women went unnoticed in history and that is crazy to me. That is crazy. Hell no. That makes my blood boil.”

Meanwhile, ten-time Grammy award-winner Pharrell Williams lent his musical prowess to the film’s soundtrack together with Hanz Zimmer in addition to being one of its producers. According to the Toronto Sun, he expressed his enthusiasm over the new project saying that he was happy for the opportunity to be part of a film that empowered women. He said, “These women were operating, dreaming and engineering in a matrix where the odds were stacked against them. Sexism, racism, discrimination… it’s crazy. How could you not want to be a part of this? I’m happy to even be a dot in the sentence of what they’re doing.”

‘Hidden Figures’ is an upcoming drama film directed by Theodore Melfi with a screenplay prepared for the big screen by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. It is produced under Fox 2000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment, Levantine Films, and TSG Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Fox.

The film is scheduled to premiere in U.S. theaters on January 13, 2017.