Twenty-five years after its release, Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, along with the entire cast of Bring It On, continue to captivate audiences and remain widely admired.
The movie, titled “Bring It On“, was helmed by director Peyton Reed and written by Jessica Bendinger. This production starred the lead from “The Virgin Suicides” and the star of “She’s All That” as captains of opposing cheerleading squads from California. When it debuted on August 25, 2000, it became a box office success, as viewers soon discovered that the hilarious comedy was a hit they couldn’t resist, and they eagerly flocked to catch a whiff of it.
Following its release, traces of Toros and Clovers could still be felt in the air, with the movie – boasting stars like Eliza Dushku, Lindsay Sloane, Clare Kramer, Jesse Bradford, and members from R&B group Blaque – remaining popular. A quarter-century on, this MTV Movie Award nominee has produced six direct-to-video and TV sequels and remains a cherished cult classic, demonstrating that this isn’t a democracy; it’s a cheerocracy.
And the stars still have spirit for the film, yes they do.
At a 2024 screening, Dunst expressed her amazement to the audience at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, saying, “I’ve never experienced anything quite as wild in my entire life. I am completely overpowered by it all.
She has musings regarding Torrance’s current location, speculating that he could be coaching, as she mentioned to TopMob News last year. However, her co-star offers fresh insights, fueling excitement about a potential sequel among fans.
Union stated to Variety in January 2023 that we have been working on a sequel for quite some time. However, for those not familiar with the lengthy development process in Hollywood, this could mean it’s been just a few minutes or even half a century.
So while she’d never drop the spirit stick, she did release one hint.
On the anniversary of the movie’s release in 2022, she wrote to X, “I wonder if Isis now has a teenager. #BringItOn
Platter! Box office gold! Hello!
Until that time, we’ll guide you through some backstage victorious tips. Rest assured, we’ve left the entrance open for you, Tor.
1. The movie was originally called Cheer Fever.
As a passionate advocate for my creative vision, I, Jessica Bendinger, found myself on a challenging journey to bring my script to life. In 2015, I shared with MTV News that I visited over two dozen studios and held numerous meetings, totalling approximately 28 encounters. Each meeting led to about 27 pitches, as sometimes my proposals would be well-received at the initial stage, only to face rejection at higher levels. This pattern of enthusiasm followed by disappointment occurred on multiple occasions.
3. Although Kirsten Dunst was a highly sought-after actress during her generation, it wasn’t initially her who was offered the role of Torrance. Instead, that honor went to Marley Shelton, but she eventually declined the part to star in the 2001 film “Sugar and Spice,” a movie about cheerleaders-turned-bank robbers.
4. As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but reflect on my journey that led me to the role I hold dear. At seventeen, I was consistently the preferred candidate for the producers. Despite their persistent invitations, I had declined multiple times before. However, the tide turned when a dismal independent film became my next project. Having read the script later, I found myself exclaiming, “Ah, this is a delightful movie!” to MTV News.
5. The character of Isis, captain of the East Compton Clovers portrayed by Gabrielle Union, was inspired by Michael Jordan. Incidentally, Union played a significant role in defining the character’s personality. As director Peyton Reed shared with Buzzfeed, “We spent a great deal of time developing her character during script revisions.
Union joined the movie for a specific reason: The filmmakers of the cheerleading movie, “Sugar and Spice,” initially refused to make any of the characters Black. Union shared this information with MTV, stating that the movie that shied away from promoting diversity didn’t succeed, while the one that aimed to correct past wrongs, including featuring diverse characters, was successful.
7. Among the actors who tried out for the role of Cliff, Torrance’s rocker love interest, were James Franco and Jason Schwartzman, but it was Jesse Bradford who stood out the most. He was initially a bit reluctant to join the project. Max Wong, one of the executive producers, shared with MTV that “Out of the 300 people we auditioned for Cliff, none were like Jesse.” During their conversation, Bradford casually asked, “Can I have a convertible?” To which Wong replied, “Absolutely!” However, this was just a white lie.
For Missy, who was unexpectedly made co-captain along with Torrance and had a fondness for gymnastics and temporary tattoos, Eliza Dushku from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the sole choice for Reed. And she didn’t fail to impress when she appeared at the audition.
According to Dushku, she admitted to MTV that she might have been slightly hungover at the time and was wearing all black. Reed then asked if she could perform a split, to which she replied she would try. Surprising herself, she executed a split on the spot and thought, “Wow, maybe I can!” It’s kinda neat, you know?
9. The three members of the R&B girl group Blaque, specifically Shamari DeVoe, Brandi Williams, and the late Natina Reed, were given the roles of the East Compton Clovers without needing to audition. According to DeVoe, they were at the peak of their career when the offer came. They were managed by Johnny Wright and Lisa Lopes, who served as their mentor and held creative control over them. The group was popular, and the opportunity came to them.
Since they were making their acting debut in that movie, the singers sought advice from Union to help them navigate through this new experience. As Union clarified to MTV, “They had no prior acting experience whatsoever,” so she provided them with guidance on things like marks and camera positions. The production was one where everyone, including the cast members, were dedicated to ensuring a successful outcome, and were willing to put in the effort required to make it happen. If mastering the craft demanded a collective effort, then it certainly took a whole village to achieve it.
10. The preview for Bring It On includes sequences with the Clovers that aren’t actually part of the film. Union explained on TikTok in January 2022 that these scenes were shot afterwards, as audiences wanted to see more of the Clovers after watching the movie. These scenes were specifically produced for the trailer, not for the movie itself, with the intention of making viewers believe the Clovers had a larger role than they did in reality.
As a lifestyle expert, I can’t help but reminisce on one captivating scene from the movie that wasn’t initially scripted – the playful toothbrushing moment between Torrance and Cliff. This spontaneous interaction was actually sparked by a genuine experience. In her own words, writer Bendinger shared with MTV that she found herself studying him closely during an awkward encounter in a bathroom, and let me tell you, it wasn’t the cutest sight. One day, while relaxing in my apartment, I recall thinking, “What if I could capture this peculiar moment on screen?
Kirsten contributed significantly to that part. To be precise, she cleverly shielded the side of her mouth from him when spitting, which I found particularly effective. That idea was entirely hers.”
This revised sentence attempts to maintain the original meaning while using simpler and more natural language for easier reading.
12. A large portion of the lines for choreographer Sparky Polastri, as portrayed by actor Ian Roberts and Reed, were made up on the spot during filming. They mentioned to Buzzfeed that the original role was amusing but underdeveloped and stereotypical. However, the iconic “spirit fingers” move was part of the written script.
14. During filming, a few actors were apprehended in Tijuana, among them Dushku and Bradford. According to Wong’s statement to MTV News, they had been drinking on the beach, which led to their arrest and detention in a Mexican prison.
Dushku made it clear that no producers rescued us from any predicament. While there might have been a situation in TJ during the weekends, we managed to extricate ourselves without needing a producer’s intervention.
14. Most of the cast went through a four-week cheerleading boot camp prior to filming.
Nicole Bilderback, portraying Whitney in Toros, shared with Bustle that our responsibilities went beyond just learning the dance moves and cheers. We even performed our own stunts, which meant we had to master pyramids, develop strength for it, learn all the tosses, and more. In essence, we were learning a wide range of skills, putting in around eight hours daily with a lunch break, making it physically demanding and requiring considerable effort.
Acquiring the rights to play Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” in a small part of the audition scene could save a substantial amount of the movie’s tight budget, which is only $10 million.
In my recent chat with Buzzfeed, I vividly remembered estimating the cost for a pivotal musical element in our film to be around $40,000. It turns out, this particular audio investment was our largest in terms of financial outlay and creative impact.
16. To make it on one of the squads, there was no faking it when it came to your resume.
Reed mentioned in a DVD News interview that everyone was required to bring a prepared cheer for their audition, which he described as potentially embarrassing for actors. The reason behind this was to assess their rhythm and coordination, as the roles required not just acting abilities but also the ability to meet the physical demands.
17. Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborated on the tunes and verses for the stage production of “Bring It On: The Musical,” which was performed on Broadway from 2012, albeit for a temporary duration. In 2013, it garnered two Tony Award nominations in the categories of “Best Musical” and “Best Choreography.
Many of the routines performed by both the Toros and the Clovers included stunts not typically permitted in high school competition settings.
In an interview with HuffPost, Reed admitted that there are moves in the film that are against the rules. Some of these moves are more advanced and might not be allowed in high school, possibly getting disqualified. During production, if we encountered such situations, we chose what was most effective for the story or visual aspects of the movie. That’s fine with us!
19. There was disagreement among the movie crew about how the story should end, particularly on who should win Nationals. But in the final scene, it’s revealed that The Clovers were the champions of Nationals. (Spoiler alert)
In his conversation with MTV, Reed recounted a discussion where people believed Kirsten’s team, the Toros, would win due to her being the lead player. However, contrary to that assumption, they ended up coming in second place to another team. This experience served as a valuable life lesson for Kirsten.
20. Following the unexpected opening as the top-grossing film, earning $22 million within its domestic release, while earlier projections suggested only $6 million, some of the actors responded extravagantly.
According to Dushku, several of us girls went out to party and possibly even hopped into the pool at Sky Bar, exclaiming that our movie was number one!
21. The DVD features an additional ending where Torrance and Isis are shown as classmates at U.C. Berkeley, both being part of the cheerleading team.
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2025-08-25 10:17