Jasmine Hottle to Complete Sister Kaylee's Final Film Role

Kaylee Hottle's final film role will be completed by her sister. Jasmine Hottle steps into the part left unfinished when the "Godzilla vs. Kong" actor died in a car accident earlier this year. She was 18.

Hottle had planned to star in "What Doesn't Kill Us," a feature film about people with disabilities who discover that what the world labels a limitation is in fact an extraordinary strength. The cast consists entirely of actors with disabilities, including Alaqua Cox of "Hawkeye" and Maddie Haining.

Hottle was deaf and came from a multi-generational deaf family. Jasmine, like her sister, is also deaf.

Why the filmmakers chose Jasmine

"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," Andy Mingo, who wrote and produces the film, told People magazine.

Mingo said the decision followed difficult discussions about how the production should proceed.

"Kaylee's passing was an unimaginable tragedy, and her loss is felt deeply by everyone involved with the project," he said. "When we began discussing how to move forward, the possibility of Jasmine taking on her sister's role emerged as something particularly meaningful."

The producer framed the casting as something larger than a replacement.

"For us, Jasmine stepping into Kaylee's role isn't simply a casting replacement," he continued. "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."

What was Kaylee Hottle's career?

Hottle built an unusual resume before her death. She balanced her studies at the Texas School for the Deaf, where she competed on the track-and-field team, with roles in major studio blockbusters.

She played Jia in "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021) and its sequel "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," the adoptive daughter of Dr. Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall. The performance earned her a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor.

Hottle was fluent in American Sign Language. She began her career in commercials promoting support for the deaf community and appeared in a 2021 episode of "Magnum P.I."

What does this change for the film?

The production moves forward with its original premise intact: a cast of actors with disabilities telling a story about disability as strength. Jasmine Hottle's casting keeps the role within a deaf performer's hands, and within the family that shaped Kaylee's own path into the industry.

The filmmakers now carry the project as both a debut for Jasmine and a memorial to her sister, with Mingo expressing hope that the finished film will reach audiences well beyond the disability community it depicts.