Twenty-five years ago, a modest high school cheer movie hit theaters and unexpectedly changed the way we see the sport. What began as Jessica Bendinger’s offbeat script about rival squads became a cultural phenomenon—sparking conversations about representation and appropriation while launching careers that still thrive today. From Gwen Stefani’s surprising influence on the dialogue to real competition footage woven into the film, Bring It On struck a rare balance of sharp creative choices and lucky breaks, blending Hollywood polish with the grit and skill of real athletes.
What most fans don’t know is that the movie that gave us “spirit fingers” and the most quoted cheer of all time—“Brr, it’s cold in here”—almost never made it to the screen. The script was rejected 28 times. The lead actress nearly quit. And studio executives wanted to cut the opening sequence that now defines the film. Against the odds, this scrappy production not only survived—it transformed a sport, inspired a generation of athletes, and built a legacy still growing 25 years later.
As we wrap up Bring It On Week, we’re closing with 25 of our favorite behind-the-scenes stories that turned the film into a legend—from last-minute rewrites to the cultural impact still felt today. Some may surprise you, others will deepen your appreciation, but all prove how the film’s “happy accidents” became moments still quoted, copied, and reimagined. #BringItOn25Challenge
From Chaos to Choreography: How It All Came Together
1. Gwen Stefani’s Voice in the Script
Jessica Bendinger revealed that she kept a photo of Gwen Stefani above her writing desk while drafting the script. The goal was to channel Stefani’s unapologetic, pop-punk attitude into the captains’ dialogue, resulting in the sharp, snappy exchanges that still get quoted at cheer camps today.
2. The Opening Cheer Almost Didn’t Exist
The now-famous “I’m sexy, I’m cute” opener nearly died in pre-production after studio executives worried it was too risqué for a teen audience. Director Peyton Reed fought to keep it, telling Vanity Fair it was “essential” to setting tone and energy from the first frame — and it’s now one of the most recognizable cheer chants in pop culture.
3. Twenty-Eight Drafts Later…
According to the Writers Guild Foundation, Bendinger went through 28 drafts before Universal signed off. Each revision tightened the Toros–Clovers rivalry and built more authenticity into the competition scenes, ensuring the movie resonated with actual athletes as much as with casual audiences.
4. Before It Was a Comedy, It Was Going to Be a Documentary
Before becoming a scripted film, Bring It On began as a pitch for a documentary about ESPN’s coverage of competitive cheer in the ’80s and ’90s. When that plan fell through, Bendinger kept the research, incorporating the sport’s real rules, scoring systems, and sideline culture into the screenplay.
Casting “What Ifs”
5. James Franco and Jason Schwartzman Auditioned for Cliff
Casting director Mary Vernieu told Backstage that both Franco and Schwartzman auditioned for Cliff’s role, each bringing a different take on the sarcastic love interest. Ultimately, Jesse Bradford landed the part and suggested the character drive a convertible — a detail that became central to the road trip-to-Nationals subplot.
6. Kirsten Dunst Almost Said No
In Entertainment Weekly’s 2000 interview, Dunst admitted she nearly turned down the role while filming in Prague, worried it would be “just another teen comedy.” A long call with Peyton Reed changed her mind when he pitched it as a true sports movie with high stakes and real teamwork.
7. Eliza Dushku Auditioned Hungover — and Won the Role
Dushku told AV Club in 2018 that she showed up to her audition “a little hungover” and dressed head-to-toe in black. She still dropped into a perfect split on command, wowing producers and securing the part of Missy — the rebellious gymnast turned cheerleader.
8. Gabrielle Union’s Plan to Bring a Different Kind of Cheer Captain to the Screen
Union told Oprah Daily she was drawn to Isis because the character was a strong, competent leader — not just “the rival.” She pushed for Isis to be portrayed as a champion in her own right, inspiring a generation of young athletes, especially Black cheerleaders, to see themselves in competitive leadership roles.
9. Blaque Didn’t Need to Audition
Producer Max Wong confirmed to BuzzFeed that the R&B trio Blaque was offered the roles of the Clovers without even auditioning. Their natural stage presence and chemistry helped sell the Clovers as a polished, championship-ready team from their very first scene.
On-Set Secrets & Spontaneous Moments
10. Kirsten Dunst’s Teeth-Brushing Ad-Lib
The little “mouth shield” move Dunst does while brushing her teeth wasn’t in the script. Reed kept it in the final cut, telling DVD Journal it was “so natural it made you believe Torrance was a real person with morning breath.”
11. Why the Toros and Clovers Move So Differently
Anne Fletcher choreographed the Toros’ compact, high-school-comp style, while hip-hop choreographer Hi-Hat created the Clovers’ fluid, rhythm-driven routines. This intentional contrast mirrored real competitive cheer, where programs are judged on creativity and execution.
12. Breaking the Rulebook for the Big Screen
Some pyramids and basket tosses in the movie went beyond NFHS legality for high school teams. According to Reed’s commentary, the choice was deliberate to heighten visual drama, even if those moves would’ve been scored as deductions in real life.
13. Yes, the Spirit Stick Curse Exists
Every cheerleader who’s been to NCA Camp knows – the spirit stick superstition is real! and has been passed down for decades. Cheer Spirit Magazine (1995) documented stories of teams who blamed losses on mishandling their squad’s “lucky stick.”
14. Real High School Teams as Extras
San Diego high school squads were cast as extras during competition scenes, bringing authentic crowd energy and sideline chatter. Several athletes have since shared their experience on social media, calling it “the most fun weekend of high school cheer.”
15. Full-Out Filming
All competition scenes were shot as full 2:30-minute routines — no partials — to match regulation performance timing. This choice, according to stunt coordinator Anne Fletcher, kept the energy and stamina demands authentic to real competition days.
16. Real Judges at the Table
Several shots at the scoring table feature actual judges. Their presence meant the actors had to follow real mat protocol, lending credibility to even the quick background moments.
17. Real Competition Crowd Noise
The arena atmosphere was built using crowd noise from a real Florida cheer competition recorded in 1999. Sound designer Gary Rizzo layered it over the filmed sequences for a more immersive “Nationals” feel.
The Ripple Effect That Reached Far Beyond the Screen
18. The Numbers Spiked After the Movie Hit Theaters
Within two years of release, NCA and UCA reported double-digit growth in cheer camp enrollment and competition sign-ups. This spike is often linked directly to Bring It On’s portrayal of cheer as a legitimate athletic pursuit.
19. How the Post-Movie Boom Led to a Governing Body
The U.S. All Star Federation (USASF) launched in 2003, partly in response to the rapid expansion of competitive cheer in the early 2000s. Standardized safety and scoring structures are now the norm across the sport.
20. Safety Standards Shift
According to a USA Cheer 2025 report, cheer now ranks 17th out of 20 in high school sports injury rates, with catastrophic injuries down 85% since 2000. Many credit the heightened safety focus to increased public awareness after the film.
21. The Movie That Made Cheer a Documentary Star
ESPN’s cheer features and Netflix’s Cheer both cite Bring It On as a cultural gateway to understanding the sport’s complexity. This shift in mainstream perception has opened the door for more nuanced coverage of scoring, safety, and team culture.
22. Tackled Cultural Appropriation Early
The stolen-routine storyline in Bring It On didn’t just highlight plagiarism within cheerleading — it mirrored a much bigger pattern seen across sports, dance, music, and fashion, where marginalized communities innovate but larger, better-funded groups reap the rewards. In the film, the Toros’ theft of the Clovers’ routines reflects how structural inequities can silence or sideline the original creators while rewarding those with more resources, visibility, and institutional backing. This was one of the earliest mainstream teen comedies to frame such an imbalance as wrong without undercutting the group that was wronged — the Clovers win on their own terms, a resolution that resonates with athletes and artists alike. Today, many cheer organizations, from Varsity Spirit to USA Cheer, enforce originality and intellectual property guidelines that penalize copied choreography, but the conversation also extends to copyright protections, equity in judging, and cultural sensitivity in performance styles across multiple competitive arts.
A Quarter Century Later, It’s Still Changing the Game
23. Broadway Adaptation with Elite Cheer Stunts
Lin-Manuel Miranda co-wrote Bring It On: The Musical, which ran on Broadway in 2012 and featured live cheer stunts — something almost unheard of in professional theater due to safety and casting limitations.
24. Half the Cast Were Competitive Cheerleaders
Stunt coordinator Jessica Colombo told Playbill that about half the Broadway cast had competitive cheer backgrounds. Which was no easy task. This allowed them to safely execute baskets, tumbling passes, and pyramids eight shows a week without injury.
25. Multiple Cast Members Are Still Game for a Sequel
A quarter-century later, Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union are still cheering for a return to the mat. Dunst has floated the idea of Torrance as a coach — with the important caveat that the sequel “can’t be embarrassing” — while Union has been actively pitching stories where their characters are now parents of teenage cheerleaders. They’ve both been talking about it for years, sparking hope (and plenty of fan casting) even though no official green light exists. If it ever happens, it could be the perfect handoff from the original champions to a new generation.
Fun Fact: California All Stars’ Owners Got Their Start in Bring It On
When Bring It On filmed in 1999, famed choreographer Ray Jasper was brought in to shape the routines. He cast Tannaz Kirichkow and Ranna Jacobsen, then cheerleaders at the University of Louisville, along with 12-year-old Neda Emamjomeh. In 2001, Tannaz and Jeff McQueen co-founded California All Stars, while Ranna and Neda—still in school at the time—would later join them in building the program into one of the most recognized names in cheerleading.
Why It Still Hits Zero 25 Years Later
The film challenged cheerleading it to be more original, more ethical, and more representative. Those conversations still shape captains’ standards, choreography choices, and team culture. The early-2000s surge in participation, USASF rule standardization, and ongoing safety gains all map to a period of unprecedented growth. Today’s elite skills and smarter progressions are part of that legacy.
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