Godzilla x Kong in ASL; Deaf retired NHL player Jim Kyte honored
Here are two Deaf News briefs.
Godzilla x Kong in ASL
The first: Warner Bros. Discovery / Max (HBO) announced today that it would release the film “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” on its Max streaming service next Thursday, July 4th with an ASL version. The ASL version is similar to the ASL version of “Barbie” that was released last December. This Godzilla x Kong film has a Deaf actress in it, Kaylee Hottle. The ASL interpretation for this film is done by Otis Jones.
[Video clip from “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in American Sign Language” CREDIT: YouTube/Max]
Otis Jones has done work with Deaf West Theatre and has over 600,000 followers on TikTok (@slntwrlddd).
A representative from HBO said Otis Jones is a “well-known deaf influencer and extremely passionate about supporting deaf individuals who struggle with communication barriers, drawing from his personal experiences of growing up deaf in a hearing family. Jones was coached by Leila Hanaumi, who delivered a highly praised performance in Barbie with ASL…”
Nice to see WB Discovery and HBO/Max continue to invest in providing ASL accessibility and creating opportunities for Deaf people. You can check out the film on Max on July 4.
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Deaf retired NHL player Jim Kyte honored
The second news brief: former professional hockey player Jim Kyte, who is the only deaf player to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), was appointed to the Order of Canada, which is one of the highest honors that a Canadian can receive.
The “Ottawa Citizen” said Kyte, 60, will be invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in a ceremony later this year.” He was recognized for championing the rights of athletes with physical disabilities to achieve greater accessibility and inclusion in sports.
Kyte is profoundly deaf and went through school by teaching himself to lipread. He first played in the NHL for the Winnipeg Jets from 1982 to 1989. He then played for four other NHL teams and in other professional leagues before retiring in 1997.
The article said Kyte ran hockey camps for deaf children in Toronto, Winnipeg and Ottawa and works with organizations that support people with disabilities.
Kyte said he hopes that he’s not the “last deaf player to play in the NHL” and that he is very “humbled and very proud to receive the Order of Canada.”
Nice. Congratulations, Jim Kyte.