Following the teaser’s initial premiere at VidCon earlier this week, we now have a full trailer for “The Hate U Give,” the newest teen/social injustice drama from soulful director George Tillman Jr. Playing as a coming-of-age story, the film centers on a young and underprivileged high school student Starr Carter (played by Amandla Stenberg from “Everything, Everything”). Surrounded by a boisterous and multifarious community, Starr is forced to find and raise her voice against injustice after she witnesses the murder of her childhood friend at the hands of the police.
Considering our current socio-political climate, and the real-life day-to-day injustice that takes place throughout the country, “The Hate U Give” seems to be a fearless response, accessibly tackling these daunting issues upfront. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (whose proven his steady hand on heavy dramas with” Notorious,” and a few episodes of “This is Us”), “The Hate U Give” is adapted for the screen by Audrey Wells (“Guinevere,” “Under the Tuscan Sun”) from Angie Thomas’ novel of the same title.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood 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. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.
Alongside Amandla Stenberg, the film’s powerhouse cast features K.J Apa (“Riverdale”), Algee Smith (“Detroit“), Regina Hall (“Girls Trip,” “Insecure”), Anthony Mackie (“The Hurt Locker”, the MCU’s Falcon), Sabrina Carpenter (“Horns”), Common (“The Tale,” “Selma”), and Issa Rae (“Insecure”).
From producers, George Tillman Jr., Robert Teitel, Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen, “The Hate U Give” hits theaters on October 19, courtesy of 20th Century Fox.