"Hidden Figures" actress Taraji P. Henson has signed on to star in Screen Gems' thriller "Proud Mary." She has been busy both on the small and big screen in the past year.
According to Deadline, Henson will play a hit woman whose life is upturned when she meets a young boy who awakens the maternal instinct she never knew she had. Other cast and plot details of "Proud Mary" are still kept under wraps since the project is still in development.
"Dirty Work" writer John Stewart Newman and "Stasis" writer Christian Swegal will be penning the script for "Proud Mary." "Mona Lisa Smile" producer Paul Schiff and "The Air I Breathe" producer Tai Duncan are producing, Variety reported. Newman is represented by WME and Swegal by Gersh.
Henson earned two Emmy nominations for her role as matriarch Cookie Lyon in ABC series "Empire," which was renewed for Season 4 by Fox at TCA Panel. She is also lending her voice to Praline in James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Sam Simon's animation comedy "The Simpsons."
On the film side, Henson's drama "Hidden Figures" is about three African-American women who helped win the space race. It just released on Jan. 6 and opened to No. 1 at the box office, unseating three-time champ "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" with $22.8 million at the domestic box office. It also won for a best ensemble SAG awards last Jan. 29.
Henson last starred for Screen Gems in the crime thriller "No Good Deed" wherein she played Terry and romance comedy "Think Like a Man" and its sequel where she played the role of Lauren. She is represented by UTA and Vincent Cirrincione Associates.
The production of "Proud Mary" is slated to start by April in Boston. No director has been attached yet, but Screen Gems will set a director quickly.
Watch the video about Taraji P. Henson playing hit woman in "Proud Mary":
