all cheerleaders die
TRANSCRIPT
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A Moderncin Production
A McKee/Sivertson Film
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A MODERNCIN PRODUCTION
A MCKEE/SIVERTSON FILM
ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE
Cast
CAITLIN STASEY as Mddy Killian
SIANOA SMIT-MCPHEE as Leena Miller
BROOKE BUTLER as Tracy Bingham
introducing
TOM WILLIAMSON as Terry Stankus
AMANDA GRACE COOPER as Hanna PopkinREANIN JOHANNINK as Martha Popkin
NICHOLAS S. MORRISON as Ben FectorCHRIS PETROVSKI as George Shank
LEIGH PARKER as Manchester Manny MankiewitzJORDAN WILSON as Vik De Palma
FELISHA COOPER as Alexis Alexander
and
MICHAEL BOWEN as Larry
Written and Directed byLUCKY MCKEE / CHRIS SIVERTSON
Based on their Original Film All Cheerleaders Die
ProducerANDREW VAN DEN HOUTEN
Producer
ROBERT TONINO
Executive ProducerARRIEN SCHILTKAMP
Co-Executive ProducerRUSSEL DINSTEINLOREN SEMMENS
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Associate ProducerGIUSEPPE CATALDO
Casting byLINDSAY CHAG C.S.A.
Director of PhotographyGREG EPHRAIM
Production Design byKRISTA GALL
Edited byBEN LA MARCAZACH PASSERO
Special Make-Up Effects Produced by
ROBERT KURTZMAN
Key Make-Up byBEKI INGRAM
DAVID H. GREATHOUSE
Visual Effects byROGER NALL
Music byMADS HELDTBERG
Costume Design byONEITA PARKER
Sound Design byANDREW SMETEK
Unit Production ManagerJONATHAN WAGNER
First Assistant DirectorCASSANDRA LAYMON
Second Assistant DirectorMATTHEW BAKER
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SYNOPSIS
When tragedy rocks Blackfoot High, rebellious outsider Mddy Killian shocks the student body
by joining the cheerleading squad. This decision drives a rift between Mddy and her ex-girlfriend Leena Miller - a loner who claims to practice the dark arts. After a confrontation with
the football team, Mddy and her new cheerleader friends are sent on a supernatural roller
coaster ride which leaves a path of destruction none of them may be able to escape.
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DIRECTORS STATEMENT
ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is a rip-roaring rocket ride of a film. In this re-imagining of our
first low-budget feature film, we chose to dive deeper into character and expand the scale anddetail of the high school world depicted. ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is a cross pollination of
teen horror, sex comedies, action, non-ironic romance and straight up fantasy. We feel this
mixture of tones and emotions encapsulates what itslike to be a teenager in the modern world
what with the barrage of media, information, and an overload of instant communication. The
film is designed to keep your ass in the seat and munching that popcorn. Its designed to make
you laugh, cringe, scream, and cry. Sometimes all at once. Our desire is to leave the audience
wanting more, more, more. And, let us tell you brothers and sisters, this is just the start.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
REIMAGINING ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE
Before there was The Woman, and before The Lost, directors Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson
made a backyard high school zombie movie in 2001 calledAll Cheerleaders Die, a post-USC
film school project that was shot on video and never received a wide, national release. Now,
more than 10 years later, the duo is set to reimagine the story through their more-experienced
eyes and turn it into a relentlessly thrilling and highly ambitious production. Produced by
Andrew van den Houten and Robert Tonino for Moderncin, this is Chris Sivertsons first
project with the company and Lucky McKees second film with the team, the first being last
years thrillerThe Woman. This reimagining will have a similar plot to the original
Cheerleadersfilm but, as you will soon read, the stakes have been raised along with the
production budget.
When tragedy rocks Blackfoot High, rebellious outsider Mddy Killian (played by Australian
Caitlin Stasey) shocks the student body by joining the cheerleading squad. This decision drives a
rift between Mddy and her ex-girlfriend Leena Miller (fellow Aussie Sianoa Smit-McPhee) - a
loner who claims to practice the dark arts. After a confrontation with the football team, Mddy
and her new cheerleader friends are sent on a supernatural roller coaster ride which leaves a path
of destruction none of them may be able to escape.
Shot from a completely new script that was written in 2012, ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE
features stunning turns from a sizzling young ensemble that includes Caitlin Stasey (CWs
Reign, Tomorrow When the War Began) as the offbeat heroine Mddy Killian, Sianoa Smit-
McPhee (HBOsHung) as Leena Miller, Mddys childhood friend who is now a sorceress, and
the cheerleaders Brooke Butler as Tracy Bingham, Amanda Grace Cooper as Hanna Popkin,
Reanin Johannink as Martha Popkin and Felisha Cooper as Alexis Andersen. Rounded out by a
supporting cast that includes newcomer Tom Williamson as Terry Stankus, the alpha-male on the
football squad, Chris Petrovski as his friend George Shank, Leigh Parker as Manchester
"Manny" Mankiewitz, Jordan Wilson as Vik De Palma and Nicholas S. Morrison as Ben, ALL
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CHEERLEADERS DIE delivers a scary supernatural thrill ride that also offers some dark and
twisted laughs along the way.
THE ORIGINS OF THE STORY
On the most basic level, ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is about resurrection and getting a second
chance, which is fitting as this new film is not the first version of this story that was shot.
Originally, a little-seen video version of the story was crafted and shot by McKee and Sivertson
back in 2001 about a year after they had just graduated from USC film school. The original
genesis of the project came when the pair, who had met as freshmen when they both lived on the
Cinema Floor in the USC dormitory, was walking down Hollywood Blvd. one afternoon
having just picked up some movie magazines. One of the magazines was calledAlternative
Cinemaand inside it detailed a number of low budget movies that people were starting to make
with Mini-DV cameras. At that point Chris suggested to Lucky, Hey, why don't we make one
of these?" A year later they had their first finished featureAll Cheerleaders Die. The film,
however, never had a wide release and the pair went off in separate directions to begin their
respected solo filmmaking careers.
Since completing the original Cheerleaderswith Sivertson, Lucky McKee continued on to direct
May(2002), The Woods(2007), and The Woman(2011). He has written two novels with Jack
Ketchum, The Woman, and Im Not Sam-- the latter of which was nominated for a Bram Stoker
Award and a Shirley Jackson Award for best long fiction.
After joining forces with McKee for the original Cheerleaders, Sivertsons solo directorial debut
was the adaptation of Jack Ketchums powerful novel, The Lost(2006). The Lostwas the first
film to be made based on a book by this renowned American author. Sivertson also directedI
Know Who Killed Me(2007) for Tri Star Pictures and the independent fight dramaBrawler(2011).
The update for CHEERLEADERS was facilitated courtesy of producer Andrew van den Houten
and his company Moderncin, which had been responsible for producing numerous titles in the
independent world since 2002. The company had just worked with Lucky McKee in 2010 on
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The Woman, and van den Houten was interested in finding another project to do with the
director. That was when McKee brought up the idea of resurrecting his old project with his
college friend Sivertson.
Van den Houten notes that he was immediately intrigued to hear the idea for this new film: It
was an interesting opportunity in that Lucky and I had worked on The Womantogether and had
such a great experience, so I basically said, let me know what you want to do next and let's
make it happen, and he told me that he had this remake that he wanted to do of a film he had
done right out of USC with his buddy Chris Sivertson. And I said, sure, let's do it. What is it?
And Lucky replied, it's a cheerleading zombie film.
Van den Houten had never worked with Sivertson previously, but was impressed by his work on
films such as The Lostand had been looking for a project to do with him for years. Having this
pair teaming up to write, direct and shoot a high-octane cheerleading zombie film seemed like a
perfect opportunity that couldnt be passedup. Furthermore, though the project had a lot of
crossbred elements from a number of different genreshorror, supernatural, action, coming-of-
agewhat made the project even more attractive was that McKee and Sivertson wanted to infuse
some humor into the screenplay.
Van den Houten knew there was going to be something interesting and fun about this script and
that a certain brand of humor would finds its way into the storyline, which he appreciated.
I feel a lot of the films I do don't have as much humor as I would like, and so it's nice to be
doing something like that. There's a Coen Brother-esque quality to the humor in this film, I have
to say, but it's across the board. The humor isn't necessarily dark, it's a mixture, he states.
For years McKee and Sivertson had discussed making a sequel to the original film, but with so
much time passing since its completion, it seemed a better idea to re-envision the original idea
with all they had learned throughout their professional careers up to that point. Neither had co-directed another project with anyone else throughout the years, but they felt confident in working
together again since collaboration is, essentially, the epicenter of filmmaking as they have
stated.
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Van den Houten insists that he wanted to give McKee and Sivertson as much creative freedom as
possible while they were hammering out the screenplay: We really allow our directors to direct
the movies that they want to direct; we allow our writers to write what they want to write and we
don't sit there and tell them - It's funny, or its not funny. Sure we give notes, but generally, I
like to focus on finding a writer or director that has a clear vision from the beginning.
For the actual scripting process, McKee and Sivertson would talk out some general ideas and
then one of them would go off and write some pages. Eventually they would trade off, rewriting
each other and coming up with more pages until they reached the final draft some time in 2012.
For the final drafts the pair would sit in a room switching off on the keyboard, refining it until
they were both satisfied with the results. Ultimately, they had a very particular tone and theme
that they wanted to imprint on the story, which they feel they achieved. Our attempt is to make
a film that is relevant to teenagers. What we didn't want to do is make any overbearing homages
to the films we liked when we were teenagers. This is not a retro piece. We tried very hard to
make it modern and in the moment, they stated.
They knew it was not going to be easy to balance the humor with the more serious elements in
the storyline, but they eventually made a decision to just take it all very seriously.
McKee and Sivertson concluded that the emotional life of a teenager is very chaotic and very
intense. It's not something to make light of. Their world is just as serious and heart-breaking and
scary as anyone else's. We just tried to keep it honest.
THE CAST
Once the script had been polished and funding had been secured through Moderncin to begin
production, the casting process began in earnest. When asked if they had any particular actors in
mind when drafting the story, both McKee and Sivertson insist they did not, but had a tone and
feel in mind rather than anything specific:
We wanted a fresh young cast, so we found a fantastic casting director in Lindsay Chag. She
setup the auditions and we just kept looking at people until we found the best fits, said the pair.
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The casting was done specifically out of Los Angeles, as opposed to New York where the
producers were based and had done the majority of their casting on past projects. Adds van den
Houten: That was a great surprise, in that the talent's there (in Los Angeles), and the looks are
there and there's something authentic that's there. It's not going to be another sitcom. The
dialogue is snappy, it's edgy and it's real. It's like stuff that my friends would have said when I
was in high school. And so, again, casting this project was a gift. And Lindsay Chag worked
endlessly to make sure every single kid who might be available would actually arrive and
audition for these guys.
The teams first concern while putting together the ensemble cast was finding the actors to play
former childhood friends Mddy and Leena who now find themselves in the middle of an
uncontrollable supernatural occurrence. What they also didnt realize that, even though they
were telling a very American story set in a typical American high school, a large number of the
cast would actually come from Down UnderAustralia and New Zealand.
THE CHEERLEADERS
Originally from Australia, Caitlin Stasey made a name for herself starring in the popular
Australian series,Neighbours. She was then cast as the lead heroine in the independent film,
Tomorrow When the War Began, directed by Stuart Beattie. The film was critically acclaimed in
Australia and Stasey won an IF Award (a prestigious film award in Australia) for her
performance. In 2011, Caitlin starred in the independent film,Evidence, opposite Radha
Mitchell and Stephen Moyer, and in 2012 she starred opposite Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy in
I, Frankenstein. The film reunited Caitlin with her Tomorrow When the War Begandirector,
Stuart Beattie.
Stasey was brought in by Chag to read for a cheerleader role, however it wasnt for the lead roleof Mddy Killian, the teenager with a secret mission who sets off the key chain of supernatural
events in the film. She initially came in to read for the part of Tracy Bingham, who, after a
tragic accident has taken over as head cheerleader on the Blackfoot High School squad.
Halfway through my Tracy audition I actually forgot my lines and sort of stumbled and I
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thought I messed it up, said Stasey. They stopped me and asked me to learn Mddy's dialogue
and to come back in, and 20 minutes later I did it. Two days later, she was informed that she
had landed the part.
Stasey finished the script and came away with the impression that this was clearly not your
typical teenage horror film. It had an intricate plot, as well as deeply developed characters with a
sense of realistic humor. She felt it was almost an homage to the types of films she loved when
she was younger such as The CraftorJawbreaker, with strong female protagonists and female
relationships played out on screen that are not clichd, but complex and interesting. That and the
supernatural element combined with an epic battle of the sexes where no real male protagonist
comes in and saves the day.
Stasey had a focused idea of who her character was and what she wanted. She states: Mddy
Killian is a budding videographer, your regular high school student. She's kind of lonesome. She
has a very close and ambiguous relationship with her friend Leena. Aside from that, I think that
she's very isolated and kind of cynical and probably can't wait to leave high school behind and
start a new life elsewhere. And then she gets embroiled in this crazy situation that pits
cheerleaders against football players, at her own doing. So she's kind of underhanded for the
right reasons.
Stasey also commented on the abundance of Australians and New Zealanders in the production,
as she was one of three female leads from Down Under. The relationship between all of them
was something that she would cherish: It's really great to be working with Australian and New
Zealand actors because there's kind of a dialogue between us that doesn't really translate to
anybody else in any other continent. We have a short hand. And Australians have this kind of
sense about them. They're really hard working but they don't take themselves too seriously.
Tapped to play the part of her former best friend Leena Miller was fellow Australian Sianoa
Smit-McPhee. Previously, she starred in the ABC television film,Firelight, for director Darnell
Martin, opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr, Q'orianka Kilcher, and DeWanda Wise. She is also well
known for having starred in Alexander Paynes HBO television series,Hung, opposite Anne
Heche and Thomas Jane, for three seasons to critical acclaim.
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Amusingly, Smit-McPhee and Stasey also starred on the showNeighbours, the popular
Australian series where they played best friends for three years. Once they found out that they
were going to work on the same project together again, Smit-McPhee said she got a call from
Stasey almost immediately. She called me up and I was like, you have to do this movie, I'm in
this movie, you have to do it, so now we're best friends again in this movie.
Originally, Smit-McPhee had come in to read for the role of Mddy, but once she began reading
more of the script she realized that she was better suited to play the darker role of Leena. Even
though there were some deep moments and black magic involved, she couldnt get over the fact
that this role was probably going to be one the most fun she had ever tackled. Upon finishing the
screenplay, Smit-McPhee was asked what she thought of the role and the storyline in general.
I'm playing a witch, she said, So there's so much fun, spiritual stuff. And I get to play with
stones and do magic, and they levitate. I bring people back to life and people die and there's
blood and running and it's just fun. The whole movie is fun.
Smit-McPhee committed herself to playing the challenging role of Leena by doing research into
witchcraft and getting a feel for what the character might dress like, what her family would look
like, and even how Leena would decorate her room. As a matter of fact, during production she
created a vision board for the character which included many of the character details all in one
place that she could email McKee and Sivertson and other department heads who were in charge
of the look of the film.
Smit-McPhee was also very particular about the costume design for Leena before and during
production, and worked closely with costume designer Oenita Parker on her outfits. Commented
Smi-McPhee: Oenita -- who is doing all the costume design -- I went over to her house and we
were on the same page immediately. I started talking to her about what I had in mind for the
character and I showed her the vision board. She was just, like, perfect, we're definitely on the
same page.
With the pivotal duo of Mddy and Leena in place it was time to fill out the ensemble cast for the
remaining cheerleader roles, as well as the football players that play opposite them throughout
the story.
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The role of head cheerleader Tracy Bingham was quickly offered to Brooke Butler, a native of
Washington state who recently graduated from USC Dramatic Arts School and now lives in Los
Angeles working on a variety of commercials, TV guest spots and now ALL CHEERLEADERS
DIE, her first lead role in a feature film.
Brooke felt that she understood Tracy as soon as she read the first scene. Though she is not
necessarily an antagonist in the film, she does possess some less than desirable traits and is
downright mean to some of the other female characters, especially in the opening scenes of the
story. Tracy is that girl in high school that was the most popular girl and everything she wanted
she got, and she almost seemed mean, she almost kind of had the world at her fingertips, but
she's the girl that, underneath all that, gets hurt the most, feels the most and is the most insecure,
said Butler.
Butler laughs when remembering how sure she felt of the part before she even went in for the
first reading. I knew before I even went in for the first audition, Tracy was the girl I wanted to
maybe be in high school but was too much of a goodie two shoes and too sweet and too sheltered
by my family to have ever been that girl, so I'm getting to relive those high school years, as you
say, with more confidence and pizzaz, she added.
Helping matters for Butler was the fact that she was a cheerleader at USC, specifically the USC
Spirit leader in their Rose Bowl appearances, and generally grew up dancing her whole life. She
was well suited to learning the dance routines that the cheerleaders in the film had to perform.
The Popkin Sisters, played with delightful relish by 19-year old Amanda Grace Cooper as Hanna
and New Zealander Reanin Johannink as Martha, are unique amongst all the characters in the
film because, through a supernatural event that they all survive, they wind up switching bodies.
Johannink plays the older sister Martha, who is one of the leaders of the cheerleading squad but
is also quite religious. Cooper plays younger sister Hanna, who is only 16-years old and is thehigh school mascot. Before shooting commenced, the pair realized that they had a difficult job
ahead of them, since both actors would have to play the others character for half the film.
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We have a tragic accident, but when we come back from the dead, our souls have switched
bodies. Therefore, I have Hanna inside me and she has Martha inside her. So we end up being
the same person. We both play two characters throughout this movie, said Johannink.
To work out the aspects of the soul switching, Cooper and Johannink had a series of creative
meetings to figure out exactly how they would play one another. We decided on a lot of
different mannerisms, postures, the way in which we spoke, to just be consistent with each
character in order to make it obvious when we were switching. It took a lot of effort. It was
definitely like, Who am I going to be today? and getting into character and figuring out the
ticks and idiosyncrasies of that character, she said.
Added Cooper: Honestly, just like hanging out with one another, all of the time, really helped a
lot, because a lot of her mannerisms were Martha's mannerisms. It was just really awesome and I
think we nailed it.
Rounding out the cheerleading squad is North Carolina native Felisha Cooper as Alexis
Andersen. Coopers past credits include a number of commercials as well as the Nickelodeon
featureBig Time Rush, where she played the lead girl in Newtown High, a show within the show.
THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the football players, and their leader and the school
alpha-male Terry Stankus is played by newcomer Tom Williamson. A native of Washington DC
and a former athlete, Williamson is a recent USC graduate who also studied at the American
Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before landing the job on ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE,
which is his first role.
The character of Terry essentially sets up a war of the sexes between the cheerleaders and his
football squad, eventually leading to a tragic, supernatural event that affects all of their lives.
What attracted Williamson to the role was the darkness inside the teen. At times, Terry could
seem like a likable guy, but underneath all the charm and swagger were some demons waiting to
come out.
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Remember, my character is captain of the football team, said Williamson. He's basically the
alpha male of the school, the guy that all the women love and all the guys either love or hate.
And his role in this film is really trying to maintain his power over everyone when it gets
disrupted. So when the girls get the stones, when he's disrespected, it's my job to make sure
things stay balanced and the way they're supposed to be.
Playing the role of George Shank, who is Terrys right hand man, is another New Zealander
named Chris Petrovski. Originally from Macedonia, Petrovski and his family moved to New
Zealand when he was five years old. He had never much interest in acting until he was a senior
in high school when he played a role in the school production ofMacbeth. At that point, he was
bitten by the bug and eventually moved to the States to further his career. Petrovskis agent
originally sent him in to read for another role on the team, that of Vik, which eventually went to
Jordan Wilson. Petrovski read for the part but felt that he didnt quite nail it the way that he
wanted. But he was surprised by a call he received from the production just a few days later. I
got a callback, but they wanted me to read for George. And I remember reading this script and
thinking, Oh, George is that fun kid, George is like that kid that's sort of all over the place and
always has Terry's back. And I reread it and I loved the part and I loved it when I saw what I
could do with it. I went in and I did the audition and they gave me the part on the spot.
Benefitting from the new direction in the casting process was actor Jordan Wilson, who plays
another member of the football team named Vik De Palma. Wilson originally hails from
Woodsville, New Hampshire near Dartmouth College and studied acting in high school and then
on weekends in Boston before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career further.
The character of Vik has a central conundrum in the story because hes in love with Mddy but
she has other plans in mind. Vik has a crush on Mddy, played by Caitlin Stasey. She's a
gorgeous girl and the relationship is kind of one sided. She used to be gothic, she used to be dark.
And now she's, all of the sudden, this beautiful cheerleader, who's not like the other cheerleaders.She's her own person, she's independent and she's not like that in that stuck up sort of way. Vik
sees that this girl is a lot different and really likes her, said Wilson.
ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is one of his first roles and he was initially struck by how many of
his fellow cast members were from Australia or New Zealand.
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Said Wilson: We all showed up day one on set and they were talking in Australian accents and
everyone was like, is this an Australian movie? A New Zealand movie? and there's like a
couple of American kids, and we were like, Are we supposed to have Australian accents or
something? What's going on?
Leigh Parker plays Manchester Manny Mankiewitz, the kicker on the football team, and
another transplant from Australia. Parker has been in the United States for two and a half years,
but back in his native land he did a lot of theatre and musical theatre as well, even playing
Gilligan in Gilligan's Island the Musical. Parkerfelt that some of Gilligans clumsiness and
naivet was something that he was able to bring through in Manny. More recently, Parker guest
starred in Supernatural, which also had that kind of spooky, supernatural theme which helped
him prepare for the role.
Nicholas S. Morrison rounds out the cast as Ben, who plays on the defensive line of the football
team and provides some comedic relief alongside George. Morrision grew up in Coral Springs,
Florida and actually won a contest through an acting school that sent him out to California when
he was still a child actor. While he was out there for pilot season he landed four episodes of The
Bernie Mac Show which started him on his career.
THE WRAP
All during the writing and development process, producer van den Houten retained a hands-off
approach with McKee and Sivertson and allowed them plenty of freedom to tell the story that
they wanted to tell. That approach was maintained all during the production and post-production
stages on ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE as well.
The film went into production on November 26, 2012 in Los Angeles and shot in and around
Southern California. When asked about specific challenges during the production process, both
directors acknowledged that there were the usual production difficulties involved, but what they
found truly unique was working with such a large ensemble cast with a worldwide flavor. The
diversity, they note. Each one is so different. It's a big challenge to work with so many
personalities and keep everyone focused on what's most important.
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Caitlin Stasey was also quite impressed by the American directing pair, noting that McKee and
Sivertson were a perfect contrast on the set, and even though they had different approaches, they
seemed to have one mind: I've worked with a lot of team directors before and it can sometimes
be a clash of ideas or a clash of ego, but throughout this process, I feel like they've managed to
put away any of that aside, if they had any at all, and just focus on what they needed to do and
it's just nice. It's kind of like bad cop, good cop, except nobody's unkind. One is just a little
firmer than the other. But they both have completely valid opinions and they manage to merge
themperfectly.
This is also one of the largest films this particular group of filmmakers has ever shot, with the
typical number of cast and crew on set each day at 50, 60 and sometimes over 80 people, which
is much larger than the standard independent film. Overall the shoot was labeled an efficient
success.
With filming completed and the editing process over, McKee and Sivertson make it known that
they had a clear vision from the onset of the project and have been maintaining it every day since
the beginning: From the outset we wanted a movie that didn't slump along. We wanted a very
fast pace, a density, and lots of tone changes. It takes time to get it just right, so we just stuck
with it until we were both satisfied.
When asked about the production of the film van den Houten was most pleased to have the
veteran pair at the helm: Ultimately, the crew needs to feel that there is one vision on the
project. In this case, it's interesting, because there are two directors, yet they work so well
together. They've made this film before, and they're doing it on steroids now with a budget and a
real film crew and they've got a vision for it. And it's a collective vision. And it was clear
everyday they showed up on set, no one sat around for five hours waiting for them to figure out
what they're doing, we really shot exactly what they both wanted. And ultimately the quality of
the work got in the can and came together in a way that's very exciting.
Fast paced, thrilling, sexy and yes, full of surprises and twists, ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE will
be the next step in the evolution of the careers of the filmmakers. Their fan base will certainly
take note of this project, as will a number of new fans who will be intrigued by the title alone.
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And for fans out there that have been waiting for a really fun, original popcorn movie that kind
of blends together a mix of genres, I think they're going to find ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE to
be something fresh and original, and quite frankly, the perfect date movie, enthuses van den
Houten.
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ABOUT THE CAST
CAITLIN STASEY (MddyKillian)In 2013, Stasey will soon be seen making her US television debut
starring in the hotly anticipated CW series, REIGN, which chronicles
the rise to power of Mary Queen of Scots when she arrives in France
as a 15-year-old. REIGN will premiere this fall on the CW.
Originally from Australia, Caitlin Stasey made a name for herself
starring in the popular Australian series, NEIGHBOURS. She was
then cast as the lead heroine in the independent film, TOMORROW
WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, directed by Stuart Beattie. The film was critically acclaimed in
Australia and Stasey won an IF Award (prestigious film award in Australia) for her
performance. The film also captured the attention of American audiences and helped launch her
career in the US.
In 2011, Stasey starred in the independent film, EVIDENCE, opposite Radha Mitchell and
Stephen Moyer. She then went on to star in the independent film, CHU AND BLOSSOM,
starring opposite Alan Cumming, Richard Kind and Melanie Lynsky.
In 2012, she starred opposite Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy in I, FRANKENSTEIN. The film
reunited Stasey with her TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN director, Stuart Beattie.
She then went on to star in the psychological thriller, I WANT YOU I NEED, directed by Dylan
Narang.
==========================
SIANOA SMIT-MCPHEE (Leena Miller)Previously, Smit-McPhee starred in the ABC television film,
FIRELIGHT, for director Darnell Martin, opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr,
Q'orianka Kilcher, and DeWanda Wise. She is also well known forhaving starred in Alexander Paynes HBO television series, HUNG,
opposite Anne Heche and Thomas Jane, for three seasons to critical
acclaim.
In her native Australia, Smit-McPhee was a star of the iconic, Australian
television series NEIGHBOURS for three years, and was a lead in the
Australian Disney Channel's television series AS THE BELL RINGS.
Smit-McPhee has also headlined two critically acclaimed short films: HUGO, which was a
selection at the 2008 Palm Beach Film Festival, and BLUE TONGUE which was selected for the
2008 Cannes Film Festival, NY Film Festival, and the Melbourne Film Festival.
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She has also been a supporting lead in the independent films, TOUCHBACK (dir. Don
Handfield), opposite Kurt Russell and Brian Presley and MALL (dir. Joe Hahn) with VincentDOnofrio and Chelsea Handler.
==========================
BROOKER BUTLER(Tracy Bingham)Brooke Butler recently received a BA in Theatre from the
University of Southern California and while there, she became a
USC Spirit Leader on her alma maters Cheer Team. ALL
CHEERLEADERS DIE is Butlers first lead in a feature length
motion picture.
Since graduating, she has also booked national commercials
including but not limited to: Subway, California Lottery, Prius
(with James Lipton), Liv Dolls for Spin Master, Vivident Gum and USCs Giving Back
campaign. Brooke has also transitioned into TV, taking on the role of Alison in CSI: LAS
VEGAS alongside Marg Helgenberger and Ted Danson as well as playing Teenage Karen in
Michael Feifers TV movie RETRIBUTION starring Francis Fisher.
Brooke believes her acting and art will have a profound impact on the lives of her audience, as
she wants to be a positive role model for women and young girls. In her own words, Brooke
advocates the importance of females to be strong and independent yet graceful and feminine.
Her hard work, tenacity, natural talent and enthusiasm for acting make her an unstoppable force.
==========================
TOM WILLIAMSON(Terry Stankus)A recent graduate of the University of Southern California, ALL
CHEERLEADERS DIE is Tom Williamsons debut in a feature length
film.
Tom Williamson was born and raised in Washington, D.C. The eldest of
three, his childhood circled around sports, school, and family. In the
Williamson household family came first, and each summer was marked bya family vacation, which opened Tom up to the diversity of the world at a young age. In those
days he dreamed of being a scientist or playing safety in the NFL, but everything changed when
basketball became his main focus in the fifth grade. He transferred schools after the eighth grade
to play in the WCAC, one of the most competitive leagues in the country. The next four years of
his life were spent at Gonzaga College High School, a Jesuit school in the heart of the nations
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capital. After three disappointing years in the schools basketball system, he made the painful
decision to retire from the game he had dedicated his heart to. Amidst the confusion of
redefining his identity, he learned of the schools upcoming spring musical, West Side Story. A
nervous wreck, he auditioned and was cast in the show as a Jet.
Tom instantly caught the acting bug and attended the University of Southern California inresponse to his newly acquired passion. Though he majored in Communication, he acted in two
plays during his time at USC, which further fueled his fire to fully pursue acting. Two weeks
after graduation he was in San Francisco studying at the American Conservatory Theatres
summer intensive program. It was here that he acquired the necessary tools to embark on his
journey. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
==========================
AMANDA GRACE COOPER(Hanna Popkin)Amanda Grace Cooper was born on the 13th of October 1993 in
Northridge, California to her parents Linda and Fred Cooper.
At the age of three, she was enrolled into her very first ballet and tap
class. By the age of nine, she was an all-around performer, dancing
competitively in tap, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop and took home several
first place awards, as well as acting and singing. She was constantly
putting together small skits and dance shows with her friends, but
being in front of the camera and performing is what she absolutely
loved. Amanda literally grew up in the film industry, constantly being
"behind the scenes", she was an 8 year old walking through the sound stages, studying actors;knowing that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
At age nine, she started getting opportunities; she was booked in various commercials.
As a teenager she was flown to New York City for high end print modeling in fashion and
makeup, but her real ambition remained acting.
Soon after returning to Los Angeles, California, she took a role on TheBold and the Beautiful,
and a lead in a pilot and just recently took on a lead role in a super-natural thriller indie film
"ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE" where she played 16-year old Hannah Popkin.
==========================
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REANIN JOHANNINK (Martha Popkin)Though she has a number of international credits to her name, ALL
CHEERLEADERS DIE marks Reanin Johanninks first US feature
film.
From an early age, Reanin Tigerlily Johannink demonstrated natural
ability for the arts. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Johannink's
integration into the theatrical industry was less than traditional. At
the age of 16, Johannink left school and spent the next 10 years
modeling internationally. She developed a broad portfolio ranging
from editorial, to campaigns and commercials. In her expansive
modeling career she cat-walked for the likes of Christian Dior,
Gucci, and Calvin Klein. Simultaneously, she also filmed over 100
television commercials that screened internationally spanning from
Asia to the USA.
With a successful modeling and commercial career under steam, Johannink embarked on yet
another journey, television-hosting for music channel, Juice TV. Hosting provided Johannink the
opportunity to cultivate a new set of skills and experiences. It also afforded her the opportunity
to begin studies in her true craft, acting.
Shortly after her hosting stint, Johannink got her first big break with a role on New Zealand's
top-rated television series Shortland Street. Hot off her television debut, she starred in an award-
winning short film at the 48hr Film Festival in New Zealand. It was soon after that she booked
her first feature film "I Survived a Zombie Holocaust." After filming completed, Johannink
ambitiously took a leap and pursued her lifelong dream of acting in Los Angeles.
Upon arriving in Hollywood, Johannink immediately resumed her purpose. She enrolled into
intensive study at "Playhouse West" with Robert Carniege and began auditioning for theatrical
projects.
==========================NICHOLAS S. MORRISON (Ben)Nick Morrison is originally from South Florida and arrived in
California as a result of his winning Best New Talent Competitions instand-up comedy. He appeared in a recurring 4 episode role on theBernie Mac Showin seasons four and five in 2005-2006 and had a
featured role in the HBO Pilot PresentationDitta Von Teese, directed
by Fatima Robinson. He has also has been seen in several moviesincluding the Nickelodeon film Last Day of Summer in 2007 and
independent films such as A Taste of Summer and Full Grown Men. Nick also has appeared in
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several theatrical productions including a supporting role in Mamas Boys in the NYU Writers
Showcase at the Beverly Hills Friar club. He has been in many national and regional
commercials. Nick is a 2013 graduate of Santa Monica College where he performed in aproduction ofArsenic and Old Laceas the peculiar, very quirky, flask sipping Dr. Einstein. He
has studied under the leading acting coaches in Southern California and graduated from the
prestigious Groundlings Writers Lab. Nick writes as well as performs comedy and is a freelancecontributor for the New York-based production house Concept Farm. In 2011, Nick created amusic group with friends and room-mates called Jam Raw.
==========================
CHRIS PETROVSKI (George Shank)Chris Petrovski originally hails from Macedonia but later moved to New
Zealand with his family when he was five years old. A student athlete,Petrovski also studied acting in high school including a stint inHamletbefore
moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career further, where he studied at Stella
Adler on a full scholarship. He has acted in shorts films, includingLoss ofLife and commercials. In addition, he can be seen starring in the Indie feature
COLDWATER, a dark and gritty thriller from Vincent Gershaw (Bellflower)
that premiered at SXSW.
==========================
LEIGH PARKER(Manchester "Manny" Mankiewitz)ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE marks Leigh Parkers debut in a theatrical feature
film. Most recently in 2012, Parker guest starred in season 8 episode 4 Bitten
of Supernatural on the CW. Shortly after shooting Supernatural, Leigh andfriend/fellow actor Blake Jenner (GLEE) created the short film Skidaddle. In
2013 Leigh signed with D2 Management.
Hailing from the Sunshine Coast, Australia, Parker discovered a love for acting
immediately. At age 9 his teachers would regularly organize times for him to perform scenes
from his favorite Jim Carrey movies for his classmates. This progressed into Parker seekingmore opportunities to experience and learn acting. At 14 Leigh started studying with the
Australian Acting Academy where he got his first taste of acting for film and immediately fell in
love with it.
After graduating high school, Parker played Gilligan in Gilligans Island the Musical then
Aladdin in Aladdin the Musical. Soon after he booked his first commercial and became the face
of Wet n Wild Water World on the Gold Coast. Parker started working with theater company
Brainstorm Productions and traveled to schools across Australia acting in plays designed to raiseawareness for issues effecting children and teens. Parker loved the opportunity to use what he
loves to present meaningful messages and skills to deal with things like abuse, bullying, anger
and violence.
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Parker then relocated to Sydney to take classes at NIDA and continue his training before getting
an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for 3 months for further study. 2 months into his trip,
several directors, managers and producers were urging him to move to LA permanently.
In August 2010 Parker moved to LA. A few months later signed with APA.
=========================
JORDAN WILSON (Vik De Palma)Jordan Wilson originally hails from Woodsville, New Hampshire near
Dartmouth College and enjoyed playing varsity basketball, soccer, andbaseball in high school. In addition to sports, he found an interest in the
school theatre and discovered his love for acting. It was because of this
interest Jordan took private acting lessons in Boston, MA. After graduating,
Jordan moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of acting. Jordan is nowfurthering his education, taking college classes online with SNHU while
auditioning and booking acting jobs. Recently, he has acted in shorts films,
includingFinal Curtain, House of Horrorsand also commercials. Jordan is currently perfectinghis acting technique with the best coaches in Los Angeles and is preparing for much success in
the entertainment industry. ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is his first role in a feature.
==========================
FELISHA COOPER (AlexisAndersen)Felisha Cooper hales originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina. As a
naturally active and imaginative child Cooper was bitten by the acting bugwhen she was just 6 years old, performing talent shows for her family with
her sister and cousin. Growing up, Cooper was heavily involved in theatre,
dance classes, cheerleading, tennis, and swimming. Soon after, she moved
onto church plays and then musical theatre at Cape Fear Regional Theatre.Subsequently, Cooper began to travel to New York in pursuit of her dream-
auditioning for shows and casting directors in the big city. Recently Cooper
has worked on television shows and films from 'Big Time Rush' on Nickelodeon to 'The Hustle'on FUSE. Cooper has lived in Los Angeles since 2010.
==========================
MICHAEL BOWEN (Larry)Based in Los Angeles, Michael Bowen is a veteran actor of films and
television. His numerous small screen credits include stints on
BREAKING BAD, CSI, LOST, BONES, THE X FILES, NYPD BLUEand ER. Feature film credits include the recent DJANGO
UNCHAINED, LAWLESS, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT,
CABIN FEVER II, MAGNOLIA, KILL BILL VOLUME 1 andJACKIE BROWN. Bowen was born in Texas.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
LUCKY MCKEE/ CHRIS SIVERTSON
(Directors/Writers)
Lucky McKee is a writer/direct/author that has been working ever since completing his first
feature in 1999. A backyard high school zombie movie called ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE that
he co-wrote and co-directed with film school buddy Chris Sivertson. After that Lucky went on to
a solo career directing MAY (2002), THE WOODS (2007), and THE WOMAN (2011). He has
written two novels with Jack Ketchum. THE WOMAN, and IM NOT SAM. The latter was
nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and a Shirley Jackson Award for best long fiction. 2013s
re-imagining of ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE (again working with Chris Sivertson) marks a new
direction for the filmmaker. That of popcorn fare. He lives in the woods of Oklahoma with his
vicious lesbian guard dog, Veronica.
Chris Sivertson joined forces with co-writer/co-director, Lucky McKee, for the 1999 horror
feature ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE. For his solo directorial debut, Sivertson adapted Jack
Ketchums powerful novel, THE LOST (2006). THE LOST was the first film to be made based
on a book by this renowned American author. He also directed I KNOW WHO KILLED ME
(2007) for Tri Star Pictures and the independent fight drama BRAWLER (2011). Sivertson has
recently started to work in television as well: he partnered with Jessika Borsiczky (FLASH
FORWARD) to develop CHARLIE DARLING, a gritty female PI series, for ABC.
==========================
ANDREW VAN DEN HOUTEN (Producer)Andrew van den Houten, CEO of Moderncin and ModernDistributors, has been the motivating force behind the development,
financing, production and distribution of over a dozen feature length
motion pictures. Among them are the cult classic Jack Ketchums TheGirl Next Door, Offspring, The Woman, Home Movie, the
Chiller Network presentation, Ghoul, and the 2012 Spirit AwardNominee In The Family.
Andrew has gained a solid reputation as a fearless filmmaker willing to tackle the most
controversial subjects and as a result attracted the talents of cutting edge filmmakers Lucky
McKee, Christopher Sivertson, the McManus Brothers, Patrick Wang and Gregory M. Wilson.His filmic vision and creative courage have been recognized worldwide by The Sundance Film
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Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, The Independent Spirit Awards, SXSW,
Slamdance, The Deauville Film Festival, Brussels International Fantastic Film Fest, Sitges,
FantasticFest, FrightFest, Busan International Film Festival, New York City Horror Film Festivaland many others.
Andrew began his career as a child actor, performing in TV commercials in his native New YorkCity, and as a teenager was a familiar face on the local stand-up comedy circuit. A film graduate
of Boston's Emerson College, he founded Moderncin during his junior year. After graduation,
Andrew returned to New York City to produce and direct several award-winning short films andTV commercials. In 2005, he directed his first feature film, "Headspace, a multiple award
winner that screened in theaters and on TV.
In 2010, Andrew co-founded Doberman Entertainment and produced their first family-themed
theatrical film Rising Stars.
For Chiller Network, Andrew produced the original film Brian Keenes Ghoul, which aired in
April 2012. Most recently, Andrew produced and distributed Jug Face," written and directed byChad Crawford Kinkle, based on the latters Slamdance Film Festival screenplay award winner.
Andrews production of In The Family, written and directed by Patrick Wang, received 4 stars
from critic Roger Ebert, and additional recognition from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter andthe 2012 Independent Spirit Awards.
==========================
ROBERT TONINO (Producer)
Robert Tonino has been involved in various producer capacities onModerncin's feature length motion pictures since the companys
inception in 2002. His most recent project was the film JUG FACE
(2013), starring Sean Young, Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Bridgers and
Larry Fessenden, which premiered at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival.
Some of his other recent credits include THE WOMAN (2011), IN THE
FAMILY (2011), and GHOUL (2012). Prior to working for Moderncin
he was in financial management for many years at Occidental Petroleum
Corporation (OPC) in various functions, lastly as CFO and Vice President
Finance of the international Interore division. Before joining OPC he was
an investment banker for 5 years with Morgan Grenfell in London. Robert Tonino has an LLMfrom the University of Amsterdam and an MBA from Columbia University.