“Godzilla vs. Kong” actress Kaylee Hottle’s older sister, Jasmine Hottle, will step in to complete the late actress’ final movie, “What Doesn’t Kill Us,” following her death at age 18, the film’s writer and producer Andy Mingo told PEOPLE.
The actress was killed in a car accident in Maryland back in July. Her father, Joshua Hottle, previously shared the news of his daughter’s passing in an emotional 23-minute-long Facebook livestream conducted entirely in American Sign Language.
“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 said.
“Kaylee’s passing was an unimaginable tragedy, and her loss is felt deeply by everyone involved with the project,” Mingo added. “When we began discussing how to move forward, the possibility of Jasmine taking on her sister’s role emerged as something particularly meaningful.”
“What Doesn’t Kill Us” is an upcoming indie feature film directed by Anna Campbell that focuses on a group of disabled individuals who channel their experiences into superhero identities.
“For us, Jasmine stepping into Kaylee’s role isn’t simply a casting replacement,” Mingo said. “It’s an opportunity to preserve something of Kaylee’s legacy while telling a story that we hope will resonate with audiences far beyond the disability community.”
Born in Atlanta, Hottle came from a multi-generational deaf family. She began her career appearing in commercials, including one for video relay service Convo. It was her appearance in that commercial that caught the attention of an assistant director who worked on 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and later recommended her to the “Godzilla vs. Kong” producers.
She made her feature film debut in that 2021 blockbuster playing Jia, the adopted daughter of Rebecca Hall’s Dr. Ilene Andrews who forms a bond with King Kong through sign language. Hottle reprised the role in 2024’s “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” and earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for her work in the film.
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