Hidden Figures nabs the top spot from Rogue One at the box office

Los Angeles — With an ongoing taste for space, moviegoers propelled the NASA drama Hidden Figures past Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at the box office.

Hidden Figures, which tells the true story of three black female mathematicians integral to the early success of the American space program, sold $22.8m in tickets over the weekend, enough to knock "Rogue One" from the top spot it held for three weeks.

The Star Wars spinoff finished second with $22m, according to studio tallies released Monday.

Hidden Figures opened in limited release over Christmas, but it found its first big chance to reach audiences when it expanded by more than 2 400 locations Friday.

See the trailer here:

The film releases in SA on Friday, 24 February. 

READ NEXT: We get to know the pioneering women of Hidden Figures