With the Netflix hit Stranger Things coming to an end after its fifth season, several of the show’s cast members have been venturing towards other projects more and more. For instance, Millie Bobby Brown already has several projects lined up, including the sequel to her other Netflix hit, Enola Holmes. On the other hand, Brown’s co-star Maya Hawke has also been up to all sorts of things lately.For starters, the actress and model has also been working on her music. Aside from this, Hawke also stars alongside Camila Mendes in the upcoming Netflix comedy Do Revenge. Unbeknownst to many, however, Hawke almost wasn’t able to do the movie due to her Stranger Things commitment.
The Do Revenge Cast Is Made Up Of ‘Young Hollywood Avengers’
Do Revenge tells the story of a popular girl named Drea (Mendes) who plots a revenge scheme against her boyfriend (Austin Abrams) after he publishes her sex tape. That’s when she crosses paths with new transfer student Eleanor (Hawke) who also has her own school bully to deal with. Together, they form a plan that would involve the girls exacting revenge on each other’s tormentors.
Aside from Hawke, Mendes, and Abrams, the cast also includes several teen stars that fans may readily recognize. There’s Love Victor’s Ava Capri, Ms. Marvel’s Rish Shah, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’s Rish Shah, Outer Banks’ J.D., and Netflix star Paris Berelc (Alexa & Katie, Hubie Halloween, The Crew). Not to mention, there’s also a cameo from Sophie Turner.
Of her young but experienced cast, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has remarked that they’re all “teen royalty.” “They just are all really talented,” Robinson also said. “And they were the best people for these parts.”
During production, the cast also embraced the theme of the film so much that they even gave themselves a nickname. “We joke that they are like, the young Hollywood Avengers,” Robinson explained. “They call themselves ‘The Revengers,’ which we love.”
Maya Hawke Almost Couldn’t Star On Do Revenge Because Of ‘Stranger Things’
While some fans may be under the impression that Netflix productions allow for seamless scheduling for talents, that wasn’t the case when Hawke. The actress had been busy with season four of Stranger Things when she was first considered for Do Revenge.
“I was like, ‘That’s Eleanor, it’s got to be her. What do we do?’” Robinson recalled as she found herself dealing with a schedule conflict. At one point, her team had no choice but to consider other stars but even then, Robinson knew Hawke was the one. “It had to be Maya,” she said.
Do Revenge Was Totally Rewritten To Accommodate Hawke's Schedule
To make the project happen, Robinson decided to adjust the film’s shooting date. This way, she could have both Hawke and Mendes.
“And so, the movie was supposed to take place in Los Angeles; we moved it and shot it in Atlanta, so we could shoot it at the same time as Stranger Things. And I rewrote it and reset it in Miami. …,” Robinson explained.
“They were so perfect that we legit moved the production, because if we waited for Maya after Stranger Things, we would’ve lost Cami. And if we had Cami in L.A., we wouldn’t have Maya. I was like, ‘Nope, it has to be both of them.’ So we moved the whole movie six weeks before production.”
Looking back, Robinson had no regrets adjusting her own production schedule to have both stars in the movie. For starters, she remains convinced that no two other stars would have done the lead roles justice.
“I had no pre-conceived ideas of who should play Drea or Eleanor, but the minute I spoke with Camila and Maya I knew instantly they were the only people I could make this film with,” Robinson explained.
“I felt that with the entire cast, honestly. It’s not just about finding people individually, but creating an ensemble that will work well together and boy, did that pay off.”
As for Hawke and Mendes’ onscreen performance together, Robinson also noted that their chemistry is “so very real.” “All the actors became quite close while shooting,” she added.
“It felt like the proudest mom watching them all become best friends, and they continue to hang out all the time.”
Of her two main stars, Robinson also noted that “so much of themselves are in this movie.”
Meanwhile, aside from Do Revenge, Hawke also stars in several other upcoming films. These include Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City with Tom Hanks and Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, and the thriller The Kill Room with Samuel L. Jackson and her mom, veteran actress Uma Thurman.
In addition, the actress is also voicing for Marvel’s animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. The cast also includes Marvel stars Cobie Smulders and May Calamawy along with Marvel newcomer Wesley Snipes, Laurence Fishburne, and Alfre Woodard.