Amandla Stenberg Signs on for DEAR EVAN HANSEN Film Adaptation

According to Deadline, film star Amandla Stenberg has joined the cast of Universal Pictures' upcoming Dear Evan Hansen film. Stenberg will play Alana- a role that will be expanded for the film and will feature a new song, written by Stenberg in collaboration with musical composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

The film will also star Tony winner Ben Platt. Booksmart actor Kaitlyn Dever is also rumored to star in the movie.

Stephen Chbosky is set to direct the film. Marc Platt and Adam Siegel will produce the film through Marc Platt Productions and Pasek and Paul, who wrote the music and lyrics, are executive producing. Steven Levenson, who wrote the book for the stage musical, will write the script.

Stenberg made her acting debut with the film Colombiana (2011), and had her breakthrough starring as Rue in the film The Hunger Games (2012), for which her performance was praised. She has since starred as Madeline Whittier in the film Everything, Everything (2017), and Starr Carter in the film The Hate U Give (2018), both of which she received critical acclaim for her performances, earning her several awards and nominations. In television, she had a recurring role as Macey Irving in the series SLEEPY HOLLOW (2013-2014), and starred as Halle Foster in the sitcom Mr. Robinson (2015), and as Julie in the Netflix miniseries The Eddy (2020). Stenberg made her singing debut as part of the musical duo Honeywater, where they released their self-titled debut EP Honeywater in 2013. In 2015, she released the video "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows", and in 2017, she released her debut single "Let My Baby Stay".

The winner of six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson, a score by Academy Award and Tony winning composers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, and direction by 4-time Tony® Award nominee Michael Greif. The Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen, produced by Atlantic Records, was released in February 2017, making an extraordinary debut on the Billboard 200 and entering the chart at #8 - the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961.

Dear Evan Hansen opened at the Music Box Theatre to rave reviews on December 4, 2016, where it's broken all box office records and has struck a chord with critics and audiences alike.