Amandla Stenberg joins 'Dear Evan Hansen' film adaptation

According to Variety, Stenberg will appear in an expanded role from the stage production as Alana - a high school senior whose cheery facade and social-media savvy mask a deeper loneliness and isolation, and whose response to the death of a classmate ignites a movement. Stenberg will also sing a new original song, which is she is co-writing with Tony-winning lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music for the show.

Actor Amandla Stenberg, whose film credits include "The Hate U Give" and "Everything, Everything", has boarded the cast of Universal's feature film adaptation of Broadway hit "Dear Evan Hansen". The story revolves around Hansen, a high school student with social anxiety. He unintentionally gets caught up in a lie after the family of a classmate who committed suicide mistakes one of his letters for their son's suicide note.

Ben Platt, who played the title part in the stage musical, will reprise the role on screen. According to Variety, Stenberg will appear in an expanded role from the stage production as Alana - a high school senior whose cheery facade and social-media savvy mask a deeper loneliness and isolation, and whose response to the death of a classmate ignites a movement.

Stenberg will also sing a new original song, which is she is co-writing with Tony-winning lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music for the show. "Unbelievable" star Kaitlyn Dever is also part of the cast as Zoe, the love interest of the protagonist.

Stephen Chbosky is on board to direct the movie, while Steve Levenson, who wrote the book for the Broadway musical, is penning the script. Pasek and Paul are also on board as executive producers. Marc Platt and Adam Siegel are also producing the film.