‘Godzilla X Kong’ Actress Kaylee Hottle’s Sister To Take On Role In Unfinished Final Film Following Her Death

Kaylee Hottle‘s sister will step in for her and honor her memory in a new film the Godzilla x Kong actress couldn’t complete after her death at 18.

The writer and producer of What Doesn’t Kill Us recently revealed that Kaylee Hottle’s older sister, Jasmine Hottle, will take on the role now.

“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 in an interview with People.

The filmmaker continued, “Kaylee’s passing was an unimaginable tragedy, and her loss is felt deeply by everyone involved with the project. 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 follows a group of disabled friends who aspire to be superheroes and use their disabilities to their advantage. Anna Campbell is set to direct and co-write the film alongside Mingo and Elliot Woolrich. Jasmine Hottle will star alongside Alaqua Cox, Elliot Woolrich, Lucas Woolrich, and Maddie Haining, whom Marvel fans will remember from Echo and Hawkeye.

Mingo says that the goal for What Doesn’t Kill Us is to have “authentic disability representation,” adding, “We believe audiences are ready for a different kind of superhero story, one in which disability isn’t something to be overcome or erased, but an essential part of what makes these characters extraordinary.”

“For us, Jasmine stepping into Kaylee’s role isn’t simply a casting replacement,” he added. “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.”

Kaylee Hottle died in a car accident in July 2026, suffering multiple blunt force injuries. Local authorities said Kaylee Hottle was a passenger in a Honda Accord that veered off the road, possibly at high speed, early in the morning on July 21, and crashed into a ditch at around 3 a.m. The driver, described as a 19-year-old Maryland man, was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. Another passenger declined medical treatment at the scene. Hottle was taken to an area trauma center, where she was pronounced dead.