As production starts in Atlanta on George Tillman Jr’s The Hate U Give, Captain America: Civil War’s Anthony Mackie has jumped on board to play a local drug dealer in the film.
Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Angela Thomas, The Hate U Give tells the timely story of Starr Carter, a young woman constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black neighbourhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer.
Taking the lead as Starr is a young lady who is better known for her role as the young Rue in The Hunger Games, Amandla Stenberg. Also joining the cast is Before I Fall’s Kian Lawley.
Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Men of Honor, Notorious) from a screenplay by Tina Mabry (Insecure, Queen Sugar, Mississippi Damned) and Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun), The Hate U Give also stars Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby as Starr’s parents Lisa and Maverick and features Issa Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Algee Smith, Lamar Johnson, and Common.
The film rights were picked up by Fox 2000, with Temple Hill and State Street Pictures on board as production partners. The film’s producers are Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen and Bob Teitel.
Currently, Mackie can be seen in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit alongside British actors Will Poulter and John Boyega. In 2018 we will see him reprise his role as Sam Wilson/Falcon in Avengers: Infinity War as well two other films Io and Wetlands.
Kian Lawley, who is also a Youtuber as well as an actor, is currently starring in the TV series Guilty Party and his next feature film, Monster Party is due for release in 2018.
