Taken from the first part of Tupac Shakur's immortalized acronym T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., The Hate U Give is more than just another book title. Author Angie Thomas credits her own rapping for her distinctive young adult prose style that woke up even old literary critics to the fact that her message and voice deserve greater attention. Now, she's got it!
Hunger Games' Rue — actress Amandla Stenberg — and GRAMMY-winning rapper/actor Common will star as the teenage girl Starr and her uncle who is in law enforcement, respectively. The Hate U Give the movie will be directed by George Tillman Jr., who has directed Faster, Men Of Honor, and 2009's Notorious.
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Common's screen work this past year saw him playing himself in the summer hit Girls Trip, Cassian in John Wick: Chapter 2, as well as receiving an EMMY nomination under Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for "Letter To The Free" from the documentary 13th, which received a total of 8 nominations.
Other cast announcements include Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby and Algee Smith, who is currently starring in this summer's Detroit. Billboard says filming starts in September.
Dealing with Black Lives Matter issues and a teenage girl's search for her own life's truth, in the face of the conflict, pain and loss, Thomas' work suggests eternal thanks to Tupac in remembrance. This is a case of flame lighting flame, and inspiration finding immortal expressions to guide our future. The film takes on the daunting challenge of capturing Thomas' highly charged themes of injustice, but with these new key players on board, the team looks up to that challenge.
