KJ Apa, who is most know for his role as Archie Andrews on the hit CW show Riverdale, is replacing Kian Lawley in the upcoming Fox film, The Hate U Give. This change in actors came to fruition due to records on the web in which Lawley allegedly conveyed statements laden with discriminatory racial jokes and slurs, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Considering that the film draws heavily from the real-life struggles inherent in the Black Lives Matter movement, this change is especially notable.
In response to this, Lawley gave a statement in support of the decision, declaring that he “respect[s] Fox’s decision to recast this role for The Hate U Give as it is an important story, and it would not be appropriate for [him] to be involved considering the actions of [his] past.” His scenes, and in fact the rest of the movie has well, has already been recorded by the time of his dismissal. Therefore, Apa will be appearing in reshoots.
The Hate U Give gathers its source material from a book penned by Angie Thomas, and it is geared specifically towards a young adult audience. The film will be headlined by Amandla Stenberg, who will soon be appearing in The Darkest Minds. She will portray as Starr. Tragically, she watches as her friend is attacked and shot by an armed police officer. This completely changes her and spurs her on to fight for human rights. Apa will take over the role of her boyfriend from Lawley. Stenberg and Apa are members of star-studded cast, acting alongside Anthony Mackie, Issa Rae, Common, and Regina Hall.
Thus far, there is no release date scheduled.
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