July 24 (UPI) — Disney is developing a stage musical based on the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures.”
Disney Theatrical Productions, aka Disney on Broadway, confirmed plans Friday for an adaptation of the 2016 film. Disney plans to assemble a creative team of Black artists.
The New York Times mentioned the project in a report this week on Black theater artists and calls for more diversity on Broadway. Elvis Mitchell is attached to the “Hidden Figures” musical as creative consultant.
“Hidden Figures” is loosely based on the Margot Lee Shetterly non-fiction book of the same name, which centers on Black female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. The film is directed by Theodore Melfi and stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson.
“Hidden Figures” opened in theaters in December 2016 and was nominated for three Oscars at the 2017 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Spencer.
The Broadway League announced in June that Broadway performances in New York City will remain suspended through the remainder of 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Performances are expected to resume over a series of rolling dates starting in early 2021.
