The Hate U Give (film)
The Hate U Give is a 2018 American coming-of-age teen drama film produced and directed by George Tillman Jr. from a screenplay by Audrey Wells (who died the day before the film's release), based on the 2017 young adult novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. The film was produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Robert Teitel and Tillman Jr., and stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Lamar Johnson, KJ Apa, Sabrina Carpenter, Common, and Anthony Mackie, and follows the fallout after a high school student witnesses a police shooting.
The Hate U Give
- Marty Bowen
- Wyck Godfrey
- Robert Teitel
- George Tillman Jr.
- Craig Hayes
- Alex Blatt
- Fox 2000 Pictures[1]
- Temple Hill Entertainment[2]
- State Street Pictures[2]
- September 7, 2018 (TIFF)
- October 5, 2018 (United States)
133 minutes[3]
United States
English
$23 million[4]
$34.9 million[4]
The project was announced on March 23, 2016, and casting took place during August and September 2017. Principal photography began on September 12, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. On February 5, 2018, it was announced that Kian Lawley's role was recast after a video of his use of racially offensive slurs resurfaced. A month later, it was announced that Lawley had been replaced by Apa.
The Hate U Give premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018,[5] and was released in the United States on October 5, 2018, by 20th Century Fox.[6] The film grossed $34.9 million worldwide against its $23 million budget and received acclaim from critics, with many praising the performances (particularly Stenberg and Hornsby), Wells' screenplay, and Tillman Jr.'s direction. The film was nominated for and won numerous accolades, including Stenberg's winning of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and being nominated for a Critics' Choice Award.
Plot[edit]
Starr Carter is a 16-year-old African-American girl who lives in the predominantly black neighborhood of Garden Heights and attends a predominantly white private school called Williamson Prep.
After a firearm is discharged at a party Starr is attending, she is driven home by her best friend, Khalil. They are stopped by a police officer for failing to signal at a lane change. The officer in question, Brian MacIntosh Jr., barks orders at Khalil. Khalil disagrees with MacIntosh, who instructs him to exit the car.
While outside the car, MacIntosh retrieves Khalil's driver’s license and instructs him to keep his hands on the roof. Khalil leans down into the car window to check on Starr before reaching through the driver side to pick up a hairbrush. MacIntosh, thinking that Khalil is reaching for a gun, shoots and kills him. Scared for her life while MacIntosh cuffs her, Starr is able to get his badge number: 115.
While MacIntosh is placed on administrative leave, the killing becomes a national news story and causes a town-wide protest against racial injustice. Starr's identity as the witness is initially kept secret from everyone outside her family – leaving her friends, Hailey Grant and Maya Yang, and her boyfriend, Chris, who all attend Williamson Prep, unaware of her connection to the killing.
Starr agrees to be interviewed on television and to testify in front of a grand jury. While defending Khalil's character during her interview, in which her identity is hidden, she names the King Lords, the gang that controls her neighborhood. The gang retaliates by threatening Starr and her family, forcing them to move in with her Uncle Carlos, her mom's brother, who is a police detective.
Carlos was a father figure to Starr when her father, Maverick, spent three years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Following his release, Maverick left the gang and became the owner of the Garden Heights grocery store where Starr and her half-brother Seven work. Maverick was only allowed to leave the King Lords because his false confession to a crime kept gang leader King from being locked up. King, who is widely feared, now lives with Seven's mother Iesha, as well as Seven's half-sister Kenya, who is friends with Starr, and Kenya's younger sister Lyric.
After a grand jury does not indict MacIntosh, Garden Heights erupts into both peaceful protests and warlike riots. In reaction to the decision, Starr takes an increasingly public role, including speaking out during the protests. Her increasing identification with the people of Garden Heights causes tension with her school friends, especially between her and Chris. Starr and Maya start standing up to Hailey's racist comments, breaking up their friendship, and Chris remains supportive of Starr.
Starr and Seven get trapped in Maverick's grocery store, which is fire-bombed by King and his gang. The two escape with the help of Maverick and other Garden Heights business owners. The community stands up against King, who goes to jail. Starr promises to keep Khalil's memory alive and to continue her advocacy against police violence by "any means necessary".
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
On March 23, 2016, it was announced that Amandla Stenberg would star as Starr Carter in the film, based on the novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. George Tillman Jr. would direct, from a screenplay by Audrey Wells, while producers would be Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey through State Street Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment.[8] On August 1, 2017, Russell Hornsby and Lamar Johnson were cast in the film to play Maverick Carter, Starr's father, and Seven Carter, Starr's brother, respectively.[9] On August 3, Regina Hall was added as Lisa Carter, Starr's mother, and on August 15, Algee Smith also joined, to play Khalil, Starr's childhood best friend.[10][11] On August 22, it was reported that Common had been cast as Starr's uncle, a police officer.[12]
On August 23, 2017, Issa Rae was cast in the film to play April, the social activist who encourages Starr to speak out publicly. On August 24, Sabrina Carpenter was added as well, playing Hailey, one of Starr's high school friends.[13][14] On September 12, Anthony Mackie and Kian Lawley joined the film to play the local drug dealer King, and Starr's boyfriend, Chris, respectively until[15] on February 5, 2018, it was announced that Lawley had been fired from the film due to a resurfaced video showing Lawley using racially offensive slurs, resulting in his role being recast and his scenes reshot.[16][17] On April 3, 2018, it was announced that KJ Apa would replace Lawley.[18]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Hate U Give grossed $29.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.2 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $34.9 million.[4] When Disney acquired Fox, The Hollywood Reporter stated that the film had lost Fox a total of $30–40 million due to its $23 million production budget and $30 million spent on marketing.[24][25]
In its limited opening weekend, The Hate U Give made $512,035 from 36 theaters, for an average of $14,233 per venue, finishing 13th.[26] Playing in a total of 248 theaters the following weekend, the film made $1.8 million, finishing ninth.[27] The film was projected to gross $7–9 million when it expanded to 2,303 theaters on October 19.[28] It made $2.5 million on its first day of wide release, including $300,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to gross $7.5 million over the weekend, finishing sixth at the box office.[29] It fell 33% to $5.1 million the following weekend, remaining in sixth.[30]
