all cheerleaders die

7/24/2019 All Cheerleaders Die

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All Cheerleaders Die pg. 1 of 26

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.

all cheerleaders die

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