Hidden Figures is being made into a TV show, and by our calculations it’s going to be amazing
The Hollywood impulse to reboot every successful idea into a spinoff series or sequel can get a little old. But, when it comes to 2016 movie favorite Hidden Figures living on as a TV show, we’ll take all the stories about the real-life badass, early NASA mathematicians of color we can get.
Variety is reporting that Nat Geo is developing a scripted series version of the Oscar-nominated movie, and our hearts are feeling warmer already.
Based on the book by the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures tells the true story of the little-known black women who helped build NASA’s space program in the 1960s.
The movie dominated at the box office, bringing in more than $235 million worldwide, and proved that, contrary to popular movie exec beliefs, moviegoers were eager to see a story led by strong women of color. The people behind the Hidden Figures TV series surely plan to tap into that same fanbase.
As for where its at in the process, the show is now reportedly in the early stages of development, and the movie producers will apparently be coming back to produce the series alongside National Geographic.
The movie was not only a hit in terms of ticket sales, it also shined a spotlight on an important part of American history that had previously gotten very little widespread attention.
Namely, Katherine Johnson, the real-life former “human computer” who calculated the flight trajectory for the first American in space (and who was played by Taraji P. Henson in the movie), has gotten some of the deserved recognition she hadn’t had before. At the 2017 Oscars ceremony, for example, the cast brought Johnson, who will turn 100(!) this year, on stage and brought down the house.
The movie has also inspired little girls everywhere, and little girls of color in particular, to follow their STEM career dreams when they’re so often told that math and science is for boys. Representation makes all the difference. Remember all the adorable (and important) photos that went viral of young girls dressing up like Johnson and her fellow trailblazers?
So, yeah, we’re pro any entertainment venture that keeps those vital stories on a visible stage. While no release date or cast information has been set for the new show yet, we’ll be here counting down the days until the project is cleared for launch.
