The Bring It On franchise has been resurrected for a new, Halloween installment in the long running series that often ends up being about race and class via cheerleading.
Syfy announced on Thursday that they are starting the production of Bring It On: Halloween as part of its 2021/2022 slate.
“Held down by restrictive rules, an embattled cheerleading squad seeks the freedom of a creepy, closed school gym to practice for regionals, but when members of the squad start to disappear, the cheerleaders must unmask their assailant to save themselves.”
Oh, hell yes.
The Bring It On cheerdominance began when the movie, written by Jessica Bendinger and directed by Peyton Reed, was released in 2000, starring Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, and Eliza Dushku.
The film was about two rival high school cheer squads preparing up to compete in the national cheerleading competition. The big hook of the film came when the Rancho Carne High School Toro’s new captain, Torrance (Dunst), finds out their team’s winning routines were stolen from the Clovers, a mostly Black cheerleading team from East Compton led by Isis (Union).
Bring It On became a hit, and grossed over $90 million at the box office. What has continued to make the film hold up is how it tackles racism, racial appropriation, and the class and gender issues that come with being a cheerleader. It was hugely impactful in changing the public image of the cheerleader.
The sequel films have been less good. There have been seven films in total, including this upcoming one. Each of them is like a spiritual successor that isn’t directly connected to the previous. Bring It On: All or Nothing does at least have the distinction of having Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles, and Rihanna in it. Bring It On: In It to Win It has a West Side Story reference and that is … okay.
At least Bring It On: The Musical has music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and was the first Broadway musical to feature a transgender high school character. Yes, it was technically a “flop,” but that just makes it an excellent installment in the franchise.
Anyway as someone who loves cheerleading movies/documentaries and loves horror films, I’m excited to see the madness that will come from this. It has heavy shoes to fill because right now All Cheerleaders Must Die has the top of the pyramid. We will see how Bring It On: Halloween fairs.
(via PEOPLE, image: Made in Canva, Universal/Dimension Films)
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