Kaylee Hottle’s Sister to Complete Her Final Film Role

Jasmine Hottle is stepping into the role her sister Kaylee had planned to play in What Doesn’t Kill Us, a forthcoming superhero film featuring actors with disabilities. Writer and producer Andy Mingo said the decision would let the filmmakers continue the work Kaylee had been part of and honor her memory. Jasmine, like Kaylee, is deaf.

Mingo described Jasmine’s involvement as more than a replacement, saying it could help preserve her sister’s legacy. The filmmakers also see her casting as part of the film’s effort to represent people with disabilities both on screen and behind the camera. The story follows friends who use their disabilities as strengths as they pursue their dream of becoming superheroes.

Kaylee died at 18 in a single-vehicle crash in Ijamsville, Maryland, on July 21. She had been a senior at a Maryland school for deaf students, where Jasmine recently graduated as valedictorian. Kaylee was known for playing Jia in the 2021 Godzilla-Kong crossover and its 2024 follow-up, The New Empire, and had been set to appear in the new film.

The movie’s cast includes Alaqua Cox, known for Hawkeye, and Maddie Haining. Its creative team and cast are preparing to share the story Kaylee had been expected to help tell.