Kaylee Hottle’s sister takes over her final film role after ‘Godzilla’ star’s tragic death at 18
The final film project planned for 'Godzilla' actress Kaylee Hottle will now move forward with a deeply personal connection to her legacy. Her sister, Jasmine Hottle, is stepping into the role Kaylee was set to play in the upcoming feature 'What Doesn’t Kill Us', following the young actor’s death at 18. Both sisters are deaf, adding another layer of meaning to the casting decision. The film’s writer and producer, Mingo, confirmed the news to People, explaining that Jasmine’s involvement allows the production to continue while honoring Kaylee’s connection to the project.
"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. He added that the loss had affected everyone involved and that Jasmine’s casting emerged during conversations about how to proceed. He described the decision as more than a straightforward casting change.
The upcoming feature follows people with disabilities who discover that traits often viewed by society as limitations can become extraordinary strengths. Its ensemble includes actors with disabilities, among them 'Hawkeye' and 'Echo' star Alaqua Cox and Maddie Haining. The creative team has emphasized authentic disability representation, both on screen and behind the camera, with the superhero story placing disability at the center of its characters’ abilities and identities.
Mingo said the filmmakers want audiences to see disability as an essential part of what makes these characters extraordinary, rather than something that needs to be erased or overcome. Hottle became familiar to audiences through the MonsterVerse films, making her feature debut as Jia in 2021’s 'Godzilla vs. Kong'. She returned as the deaf girl in 2024’s 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire', where her character shares a special bond with Kong.
Her performance earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor. Outside her film work, Hottle attended the Texas School for the Deaf, where she also competed in track and field. Fluent in American Sign Language, she began her career appearing in commercials supporting the deaf community. She also appeared in a 2021 episode of 'Magnum P.I.'
Hottle died in a car accident in Maryland on July 21, 2026.
