HIP-HOP Janelle Monae Lands Role in NASA Drama 'Hidden Figures' Alongside Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer

Janelle Monae is taking one giant leap for Wondaland in a new space drama called Hidden Figures, a rep for Wondaland Management has confirmed to Billboard. The Fox 2000 NASA drama also stars Empire star Taraji P. Henson, esteemed actress Octavia Spencer and veteran actor Kevin Costner.

The Ted Melfi-directed flick is based on Margot Lee Shetterly's forthcoming book Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race dropping this September, according to The Wrap.

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The big-screen offering will center on three African-American women who were involved in NASA's Friendship 7 mission, which resulted in astronaut John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth in February 1962.

Monae's love for NASA is no new phenomenon. She told Billboard in December 2013, when asked about her Cindi Mayweather full-length feature, "It’s already written. But I’m thinking of going and being a part of NASA, joining their tech team, so I can get a free ride to space. So that’s my next move. Who knows what we’re going to do next. We’re definitely in talks and have had people reach out, but we’ll see."

Henson will take on the role of Katherine Henson (a mathematician) and Spencer and Monae will play her colleagues Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, Variety reports.

Per IMDB, Hidden Figures will land in theaters in 2017.