Fox has moved up the release date for The Hate U Give by two weeks, with the film now set to premiere on October 5 as a limited release and will expand the following week, then receive a wide release on October 19.

The Hate U Give film is an adaptation of the same-named book by Angie Thomas. The story focuses on Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), a young black girl who lives in a mostly poor neighborhood, but goes to a rich, mostly white, school. Everything changes for Starr when she witnesses the fatal shooting of a friend at the hands of a white police officer. Starr faces pressure from her two worlds to stand up and speak out for what's right, but it could mean she risks her own life in the process.

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Deadline reports that the initial release date for The Hate U Give was moved up by two weeks for an earlier limited release on October 5 before going wide on October 19. This decision could have something to do with the movie's previous release date putting it in direct competition with Andy Serkis' Mowgli as well as the new Halloween movie. Although The Hate U Give will now premiere on October 5, that release is limited, and the original full release date remains the same.

The Hate U Give also stars Riverdale's K.J. Apa, a role he took on after Fox fired Kian Lawley. Regina Hall will portray Starr's mother, Lisa Carter, with Russell Hornsby as her father, Maverick Carter. The cast also includes Lamar Johnson, Algee Smith, Issa Rae and Anthony Mackie.

Considering the current political climate, The Hate U Give releases at a perfect time. The actress behind Starr, though, has already faced her share of racism in Hollywood. After Stenberg was cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, the Internet exploded with controversy, with fans of the novels wondering why the character was black in the film. The outrage was bizarre considering that the character's description in the books states that she has "dark brown skin and eyes." Since then, though, other non-white actresses have suffered from similar controversies to the point that they decided to leave social media.

The Hate U Give novel received the 2018 William C. Morris Award for best debut book for teens, as well as the Coretta Scott King Award for the best novel by an African American author for children. It is also a relevant and current story that moviegoers should not miss. The release date move is a smart one that should give the film more attention during a time when so many other blockbuster movies are starting to come out.

More: The Hate U Give Trailer: Amandla Stenberg Finds Her Voice

Source: Deadline