We’re handicapping the odds on the nine Best Picture contenders for the Feb. 26 Academy Awards. Today: Hidden Figures.
Quick pitch: In the early 1960s, NASA is trying to reach for the stars by sending astronaut John Glenn into space — but to get there it needs to respect three African-American mathematicians right here on Earth.
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali.
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Nominations: 3
Key early kudos: SAG Award for Best Cast
Box office (domestic, U.S. dollars): $135.5 million.
Ladbrokes odds: 20/1
Paddy Power: 12/1
Sky Bet: 20/1
Why it could win: It’s a genuine crowd-pleaser, currently the box-office champ among the nine Best Picture nominees. And it won SAG’s Best Cast Award, strong indication that the actor-dominated Academy loves it.
Why it might not: It has just three Oscar nominations, none of them in the directing and editing categories that usually point to a winner.
Howell’s line: The Hidden Figures skyrocket reached the stars just by getting nominated.
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