September and October are often quieter months when it comes to movie releases, but that doesn't mean there isn't any quality material that can come out during that time. One of the movies this October that shows such promise is The Hate U Give, which is based off the same-named 2017 young adult novel written by Angie Thomas. A little over a year and a half after that book's publication, a film version of the story will hit the silver screen, and we finally have the first look at the cinematic version of The Hate U Give, which presents a powerful tale that tackles the Black Lives Matter movement when its teenage protagonist loses someone close to her and must subsequently stand up for what's right.
This story follows Starr Carter, played by Amanda Stenberg, who walks between two worlds: the poor, black neighborhood where she lives, and the rich, mostly white-populated school that she attends. For the most part, Starr manages to balance these two aspects of her life, but they come crashing together when her friend, Khalil, played by Algee Smith, is killed by the cops after he ignores the instructions to stay still and reaches for a hairbrush. Devastated by her friend's death, Starr then finds herself to thrust into the spotlight, as she was there when Khalil was killed. With her community protesting the killing of another unarmed black teenager at the hands of the police, Starr must find her voice and speak out for everyone who's "at the bottom." The Hate U Give's cast also includes Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Common, Lamar Johnson, Issa Rae, Anthony Mackie, Sabrina Carpenter and KJ Apa.
The Hate U Give novel earned numerous accolades following its release on February 28, 2017, including debuting at the top of the New York Times young adult best seller list, winning the William C. Morris Award and being nominated for the Michael L. Printz Award. Obviously it remains to be seen how well this tale will ultimately translate in a theatrical setting, but in today's political climate, The Hate U Give looks like it's arrived at just the right time. If it does its source material justice, The Hate U Give movie could potentially end up being one of 2018's quieter hits.
Directed by Notorious' George Tillman Jr., The Hate U Give will be released in theaters on October 19. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage about the movie, and if you're interested in learning what other movies are coming out later this year, look through our 2018 release schedule.
