"Empire" star Taraji P Henson will play mathematics genius Katherine Johnson in "Hidden Figures".
Fox 2000 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", reported Variety.
"St Vincent" director Ted Melfi is attached to direct.
The story centres on Johnson, a brilliant African-American mathematician who, along with her colleagues Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in US history, the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and his safe return.
The three women crossed all gender, race and professional lines while embarking on the mission. Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission in 1962 and became the first American to orbit the Earth.
