Jasmine Hottle will finish her late sister’s final film role.
The older sibling of “Godzilla vs. Kong” star Kaylee Hottle, 18, is stepping into the upcoming movie “What Doesn’t Kill Us” after Kaylee died in a July car crash, producer and writer Andy Mingo revealed Wednesday to People. Jasmine, like her sister, is deaf, and her casting was chosen specifically to preserve the project’s original intent.
“Like Kaylee, Jasmine is deaf, and her involvement allows us to honor Kaylee’s memory while continuing the work she was going to be part of,” Mingo told the outlet.
Mingo described the decision as emerging from conversations about how the production could move forward after the tragedy. “Kaylee’s passing was an unimaginable tragedy, and her loss is felt deeply by everyone involved with the project,” he continued. “When we began discussing how to move forward, the possibility of Jasmine taking on her sister’s role emerged as something particularly meaningful.”
The film follows a group of disabled friends who aspire to become superheroes by using their disabilities to their advantage. Anna Campbell is directing.
Kaylee died in the early hours of July 26 in Ijamsville, Maryland, when the 1995 Honda Accord she was riding in left the roadway. A 19-year-old was behind the wheel when the vehicle “traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert” at 3 a.m., police said. Authorities stated that “excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.”
First responders faced communication barriers at the crash scene. Frederick County Sheriff, Fire and EMS dispatch audio, captured requests for someone who knew sign language or had access to an interpreter app to communicate with Kaylee. The audio indicated she was “unconscious” when emergency personnel arrived.
Kaylee was one of two passengers in the car. She was transported to a local trauma center and later pronounced dead. The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death an accident caused by “blunt force injuries.”
Millie Bobby Brown, who starred alongside Kaylee in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” broke her silence on the death through an Instagram Story. “You will be deeply missed Kaylee,” the “Stranger Things” alum wrote, adding that she was “devastated” by the loss.
“What Doesn’t Kill Us” does not yet have a confirmed release date.