The book was adapted as a film of the same name , written by Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder , and directed by Melfi . It was released on December 25 , 2016 to positive reviews from critics , and received a nomination for Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards . It received numerous other nominations and awards . Taraji P. Henson starred as mathematician Katherine Johnson , Octavia Spencer played Dorothy Vaughan , an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA in 1949 , and Janelle Monáe played Mary Jackson , the first female African-American engineer to work for NASA . The movie made 231.3 million USD ( United States Dollars ) . The budget of the film was 25 million USD
89th Academy Awards
89th Academy Awards
Hidden Figures (book)