Two arrests and real cheer auditions: 14 things you didn't know about Bring it On.

It's been 22 years since Bring It On aired and the cheerleader film has remained a pop culture classic - spawning six spin-offs since its release.

The movie follows two rival high school cheer squads preparing to compete for the national title. But the coming-of-age story touched on more than just cheering, it incorporated a timeless social message about female friendships, cultural appropriation and white privilege. 

While it's been over two decades since Bring It On solidified itself as a cheer classic, there's still so much you probably didn't know about the film. 

Watch the trailer for Bring It On. Story continues below.

Below are 14 facts you didn't know about Bring It On.

1. Kirsten Dunst wasn't the first choice to play the iconic Torrance.

In fact, it was Marley Shelton (from Never Been Kissed and Uptown Girls) who was first given the opportunity to take on the leading role of Torrance in Bring It On. 

The film's director Peyton Reed told MTV Shelton eventually turned down the role. 

"They were meeting at the time with the lead who was going to play Torrance, it was an actress named Marley Shelton. I met with Marley Shelton and I gave her a couple of things and she seemed really cool," Reed explained. "Then a day or two later we found out that Marley Shelton was no longer interested."

Marley Shelton, 2010. Image: Getty.

Shelton chose the "rival cheerleader movie" Sugar & Spice, which was about bank-robbing cheerleaders.

The role of Torrance was then offered to Dunst, who eventually took it after turning down the film a few times.

2. Gabrielle Union almost didn't play a role in Bring It On.

Gabrielle Union in Bring It On. Image: Universal Pictures.

While Union undeniably helped make Bring It On the iconic film that it is today with her role as Isis, the actor was almost cast in Sugar & Spice.

However, Union says she didn't get the role, because "they didn't want to go black on any of the characters."

"... It’s interesting, the group that didn’t want to commit to diversity didn’t seem to do well and the movie that was about righting the wrongs did well, and that included diversity," she said. 

3. Everyone who auditioned for Bring It On had to have a cheer prepared.

Director Reed told DVD Talk that he and the producers "needed to know" who had at least "some sense of rhythm and coordination because not only did they need to act, but they needed to meet the physical demands of the roles." 

And once they'd filled the cast, producers sent all the actors to cheerleading camp for four weeks.

4. James Franco and Jason Schwartzman auditioned for the same role.

 James Franco, Jason Schwartzman and Jesse Bradford. Image: Getty/Universal Pictures.

Funnily enough, Franco was unable to do the film as he was cast on Freaks and Geeks. While Schwartzman also auditioned, he ultimately didn't get the role.

In the end, the part went to Jesse Bradford.

5. Bring It On had a relatively small budget.

While Bring It On grossed US$90 million upon its release on August 25, 2000 - the film had a relatively small budget of US$10 million to work with.

6. Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford were arrested in the middle of filming. 

Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford in Bring It On. Image: Universal Pictures.

While Reed praised the cast for being professional (despite being so young), there was one incident that was kept from him (and the public) until filming wrapped up. 

"It was only at the end of the shoot that I learned, after talking to producers, that Eliza and Jesse and a couple of the cheerleaders decided to cross the border into Mexico and party and they ended up in a Mexican jail and had to be bailed out," he recalled to Buzzfeed News. 

"True story. It was before one of the outdoor scenes - I think it was the car wash scene - they had barely made it to set and all that information was kept from me because, why fill my head with such nonsense?"

Reed added: "The actors made it to set and were shooting. It was only after the fact I learned there was such an amazing story. I would like to make a movie about that night: cheerleaders gone wild in Mexico!"

7. Bring It On almost got an R rating.

During one scene in Bring It On, a male cheerleader named Jan sticks his finger inside Courtney's underwear. The scene, whilst disturbing, was almost made more graphic as he was originally supposed to smell his finger afterwards. After cutting the finger-sniffing out of the scene, the MPAA agreed to give the film a PG-13 rating.

"I went to a screening of Bring It On... and I brought a bunch of friends and I was like holy s**t, this is bad!" screenwriter Jessica Bendinger told MTV. "You couldn’t get away with it now. The whole thing where he’s lifting her, lifting Courtney and he shoves his finger up her butt - wherever he’s shoving it... You can’t do that now!"

8. The Bring It On cheers are not at all realistic. 

Many of the cheer moves displayed in Bring It On should not be performed at home - or even at a cheer competition. 

According to the National Federation Interscholastic Spirit Association, flyovers and any moves that are more than two bodies high are not allowed for high school teams and would result in immediate disqualification.

9. Bring It On had a different alternate ending. 

While the cast danced and lip-synced to 'Hey Mickey' by Toni Basil, there was an alternate scene filmed that showed Torrance and Isis joining the cheerleading squad at U.C. Berkeley. However, it wasn't added in. But you can watch it on the DVD extras.

10. There are six Bring It On movies in total.

After Bring It On's subsequent success, there have been six spin-offs made.

Each one featured different storylines and characters and included Bring It On Again (2004), Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006), Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007), Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009), Bring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack (2017), and the TV film, Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022).

 Bring It On: Cheer or Die is the latest Bring It On spin-off. Image: Universal Pictures.

11. The Toros and the Clovers had different choreographers.

The film's choreographer, Anne Fletcher hired another choreographer, Hi-Hat, to choreograph the routines performed by the Clovers.

"When Hi-Hat choreographed 'Brr, It's Cold In Here' for the Clovers, Anne had a great time choreographing the really stiff, white-girl version for the Toros," Reed told Buzzfeed.

12. Bring It On's film screenwriters also wrote Stick It, Aquamarine and episodes of Sex And The City.

Aquamarine. Image: Storefront Pictures.

Bendinger, who penned Bring It On, also has writing credits on Sex And The City, Stick It and Aquamarine - all movies and TV shows with strong female leads.

13. Bring It On was originally titled Cheer Fever.

The original movie poster for Bring It On. Image: Universal Pictures.

While the film was in its early stages, it was referred to as "Cheer Fever," Reed told MTV. Thankfully, it didn't stick.

14. Torrance is the role Dunst feels closest to in real life.

Dunst spoke about her strong connection with her character in Bring It On for Gotham Magazine.

"When I was 16 and did Bring It On, I was that girl. It was like me being in high school as myself. It wasn't a stretch at all," she said. 

"I was a cheerleader, my best friend was a cheerleader. I wasn't in competitions, but I watched them on TV."

Feature Image: Universal Pictures.

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