Kicking off what's likely to be a heavy promotional campaign on its way to a possible Oscar run, 20th Century Fox hosted a special event in Toronto yesterday for its film Hidden Figures. The upcoming movie stars Tarji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae and details the true story of three black female scientists who helped get America's space program off the ground in the 1960s.
Henson and Spencer were on hand for the event, as was Pharrell Williams, who scores the soundtrack alongside the legendary Hans Zimmer. During the panel, Henson broke down in tears after watching clips of the film. "It's so important right? I'm glad I did this," she said. "I just want her to be proud," she added, referring to Katherine Johnson, who she portrays in the film.
After hosting an extensive Q&A about the film, the cast and producers ceded the spotlight to Williams. He ran through a short set of songs that are going to be featured on the soundtrack, including "Runnin'" and "I See a Victory."
Here's @TheRealTaraji w/ @Pharrell, who is composing the "revolutionary" score w/ his "big brother" @RealHansZimmer. pic.twitter.com/xjkIu1Mf1C
For Williams, Hidden Figures was a movie that hit very close to home, as most of it takes place in his hometown of Hampton Roads, Va. In addition to handling the music, Pharrell is also one of the film's producers. "After my producing partner Mimi Valdés and I heard about this project, we basically begged the producers and studio to allow us to participate,” he toldVariety. “This is an extraordinary story about black women with genius mathematical minds who contributed to American history. It takes place in Virginia, my home state, and at NASA, a place I’ve been obsessed with since childhood.”
You can watch a compilation of Pharrell's performances in the video above and check out the trailer for Hidden Figures below.
