Since starring as Rue in the celebrated Hunger Games franchise, Amandla Stenberg has discovered her own voice in Hollywood. Typically finding her home in indie adaptations of young adult novels such as Nicole Yoon’s Everything, Everything, the budding actress is following this trend as she headlines the adaptation of Angie Thomas’s best-selling novel The Hate U Give. As an empowering activist in her personal life, Stenberg’s performance becomes even more realistic and powerful.
In the newly released trailer for The Hate U Give, Stenberg plays Starr Carter, a teenager who must navigate two different worlds: the low-income, predominantly black neighborhood in which she resides, and the wealthy, largely white prep school that she attends. When Starr witnesses her best friend, Khalil, (Algee Smith) fatally shot by a police officer, she is faced with pressure from both worlds, and must stand up for what she ultimately believes in.
Directed by George Tillman, the film stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Common, Issa Rae, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie, and Sabrina Carpenter.
“The Hate U Give” hits theaters on October 19th.