The cheer-tastic goodness of the Bring It On franchise is growing with a new installment! This fan favorite is going global in Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack, available today. We caught up with stars Cristine Prosperi and Jordon Rodrigues to get the scoop on the film, and they gave us so many reasons to get excited for the virtual battle of squads from all over the globe that takes place in the new movie. Win your very own copy of Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack now, and check out our interview with the cast below!
Justine Magazine: Obviously, there’s been quite a few Bring It On films, but in your opinion how do you think this movie stands out, and how do you think it’s similar to all five of the other Bring It On films?
Cristine: I think this one stands out because we’re really focusing on the international aspect of it. We have cheer teams from around the world in it, and there’s just so many different elements of social media and hip hop and just a really relatable, fresh new take on it. And I think fans will enjoy the old, sassy things from Bring It On that they’re familiar with but also the new things like the social media and, again, the hip-hop element that we bring to this one.
JM: So, your characters are Destiny and Blake. Can you tell me about them?
Jordan: So, Blake is introduced as a street hip-hop dancer. He brings a sort of edgy vibe to the film. He’s also a very grounded character. He prefers to stay behind the camera instead of in front of it, and he’s not one to shy away from putting his friends into the spotlight first.
Cristine: And my character Destiny is the captain of the All-Star Rebel squad, and she is a cheer-lebrity in the cheer world. So she has a bit of an ego, and she’s sassy and fierce and she knows what she wants. But there’s also a softer side to her that we see throughout the film, and I think different storylines and different characters bring that side of her forward. I think at the end of the day she knows what’s really important in her heart.
JM: That’s awesome! Super excited to watch them develop throughout the movie. Ok, so obviously this movie is pretty intense in terms of dancing and cheer stunts. Did either of you grow up cheering? And did you do your own stunts?
Cristine: So, I was a dancer all my life, but I think Jordan was more of a…he’s better than me!
Jordan: I trained from the age of 13 in hip hop and ballet and all sorts of things, but never cheerleading. It was a whole new world for both of us, actually. And it is actually one of the first times in the Bring It On franchise that we do all of our stunts! And I’m super proud of the cast for that.
JM: How long was the training for that before you even started filming?
Cristine: We did a five-week cheerleading boot camp where every week we would do more and more stunts. So, the first week I was there, I got to training and I looked at all these cheerleaders doing stunts and I said, “Oh no no no, I’m not going up. I’m getting a stunt double for sure.” And then we would do stunts in the morning and the dancing in the afternoon, and I always dreaded the mornings because I never wanted to go up in the air. I was so scared! I have some videos of me actually that are so bad the first time I went up…it was so bad. But by the end of the training and by the end of the film, I was so obsessed with going up in the air. All of the cheerleaders were so proud of me, saying I was a natural born flyer, and now I just miss going up in the air so much. I miss stunting. It was so addicting.
Jordan: Yeah, she was actually asking people to lift her up in the air by the end of it.
JM: Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious! Were there any particular days while filming that stand out as especially memorable?
Jordan: We had a lot of night shoots together, actually. And I remember one night it was really cold, and we went up onto…it was actually near Lion’s Head, it’s a mountain…and we did a scene up there and the wind was crazy..
Cristine: It was like a tornado. It was so crazy!
Jordan: Yeah, and we just didn’t know how we were gonna get the scene done. But one thing led to the next and magically the wind just stopped, and we could film the scene. It was beautifully shot, and you see the skyline and all the lights. It was beautiful.
Cristine: We filmed in South Africa and the weather was always so unpredictable. Some of the shots we had to do, there was so much wind and we had to stop and start. But with that one, it was almost like Mother Nature being like, “Okay here ya go, you can do your little scene now. Here ya go, here’s 20 minutes.”
JM: Do you have any “must-haves” on set in terms of food or products or just something you have to have with you all the time?
Cristine: (laughs) Yes, so Jordan makes fun of me because when I went into this movie I was like, “I’m going on a diet. No carbs, no treats (laughs).” But by the second day or week, me and the girls that had made that pact, like “we’re going on a diet, we’re gonna be cheerleaders, we’re gonna have six packs…” But by the second week, I was like in the corner eating KitKats and Fritos and Jordan would just laugh at me eating like, “You have no willpower.”
Jordan: Yeah, we’d be like, “Where’s Cris?” And we’d just find her in the green room snacking in the corner.
Cristine: For me, I definitely need treats and things.
Jordan: For me…I know a lot of the cast needed their Red Bulls just to keep up or stay awake the whole day. But I’m good with just water.
Cristine: He’s a simple man.
JM: Good for you! When you’re not working, what are your favorite things to do in your free time?
Cristine: I do workout, I go to spin class. I do all of those things, especially living in LA—it’s such a big thing here. I’m always just doing some sort of new class or yoga or something.
Jordan: Music is a hobby for me, so I’m always playing music if I’m not working on a script or another audition or whatever. So that occupies a lot of my time, and also just trying new things, ya know? Going out there and seeing what’s out there.
JM: If you could describe the movie in three words, what would they be?
Cristine: I would say energetic…relevant..and like, fierce? There’s so many sassy parts to it that the Bring It On franchise is so famously known for. So yeah, relatable, energetic and fierce.
JM: Perfect. What about you Jordan? Are you gonna ditto that?
Jordan: Yes I am!
JM: Perfect! This one is a little more aimed at Cristine, ’cause we’re all about the girl power over here at Justine. So for you personally, do you have any girl power or feminist icons that you look up to?
Cristine: My mom is such a huge influence in my life and she’s one of my best friends and she really always taught me to stand my ground and be a strong woman and not really care what anyone else thinks. I think growing up as a teenager, it’s hard to see that, but now in adulthood, I really understand where she was coming from. And just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t do whatever I want, and I think it’s good to teach girls that at a young age—that they have no limits and to really stand their ground. Girl power, ya know?
JM: Yes! I love that, and agreed. Moms are the best, am I right?
Cristine: Mom’s are the best! Like, you grow up and you’re like, “Is my mom cool?” And she
is. She always is right, she always is cool, and my mom is really cool.
Jordan: Yeah, I love your mom.
FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT:
Cristine: The Shawn Mendes album. Everyone should check it out! But I’ll say “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” by Shawn Mendes.
Jordan: “Dang!” ft. Anderson Paak and Mac Miller
FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM:
Both: Instagram.
FAVORITE NETFLIX SHOW:
Cristine: Bloodline is really good.
Jordan: I just finished Masters of None.
FAVORITE SNACK:
Cristine: I have so many. Lately, it’s really random. But lately I’ve been obsessed with pickled beans. They’re like pickles with vinegar but like green beans.
Jordan: I like anything with avocados…avocado toast or guacamole…and.. guacamole.
FAVORITE HOLIDAY:
Cristine: Christmas. Valentine’s Day when you have a boyfriend, that’s so much fun, but it’s really sad when you’re single.
Jordan: Christmas is pretty good. But maybe Halloween.