In possible anticipation of Oscar momentum for the upcoming historical biopic, 20th Century Fox has moved up the release of Hidden Figures. Originally set for January 13, the Theodore Melfi-directed film will now get limited theatrical release on December 25, with wide release to follow January 6.
Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, the film tracks the untold true story of physicist Katherine Johnson, space scientist Dorothy Vaughan, and mathematician Mary Jackson. The pioneering African American women performed work that was crucial to American success in the space race and most impactfully, in the successful 1969 Apollo moon landing, but their story has largely unknown to the country they served.
To make room for Hidden Figures, Fox has also slightly shifted release of the Bryan Cranston and James Franco-starring comedy Why Him? by two days, from December 25 to December 23.