With the announcement of another Bring It On sequel, we look back on the original film and the seemingly unstoppable sequels.
Time to dust out the pom poms once again, as another Bring It On sequel is in the works. Whilst it’s unfortunately not the original cast starring sequel mentioned by Gabrielle Union last year, it’s one of the more exciting sequel ideas for the franchise: a slasher follow-up currently titled Bring It On: Halloween.
The story this time? Well, 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. The film is being produced by and will air on the Syfy Channel, written by Rebekah McKendry and Dana Schwartz.
The first film has become a cult classic in the 21 years since it’s release. At the time it became a box office smash, earning around $17 million in it’s opening weekend, claiming the number one spot at the box office. Lead Kirsten Dunst was well known at the time, following successful roles in Interview With The Vampire, Jumanji as well as more indie hits such as The Virgin Suicides. However Bring It On became her biggest success when it was initially released. It is often cited as one of the greatest high school films of its era, and despite no original cast members returning, it has managed to garner five sequels already.
Bring It On: Halloween will be the seventh film in the franchise. Whilst there are no casting details yet, just as with the original, the sequels have regularly picked stars in the making for lead roles. Most notable cheer captains have included Hayden Panettiere in Bring It On: All or Nothing in and Christina Milian in Bring It On: Fight To The Finish. Aside from the name, the films are not linked but share similar stories – often about a cheer team who has to change and improve in order to win finals.
It’s not just up and coming stars the film series has attracted. In 2011 Hamilton scribe Lin Manuel Miranda co-wrote music and lyrics for Bring It On: The Musical, which is loosely adapted on the original film and follows the same themes of over competitiveness and rivalry. The show went on to be a success in the United States, with a small production opening in London for a month in 2018 at Southwark Playhouse in collaboration with the British Youth Theatre Academy. A UK tour has been announced twice, initially delayed in 2017 and again in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whilst other teen films of the late 90s/early 00s went on to have sequels to varying degrees of success (lets not discuss Mean Girls 2 again) it seems the Bring It On films are truly unstoppable with the name holding its power 21 years on. Adding in a genre change is just the cherry on top. After all, who doesn’t love a badass cheerleader?
Bring It On: Halloween is due to premiere on Syfy in 2022.
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