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DEADLINE: What were some of the films that inspiredBackspot?
D. W. WATERSON:Bend It Like Beckhamhad a huge influence on me growing up.
And it was the breakout film for Evan Rachel Wood.Black Swanfor the pressure.
D.W. Waterson on set of ‘Backspot’Courtesy of XYZ Films
Ballet is a feminine sport, but seeing how hard it is on the body was influencing.
And then,Whiplash, its a fantastic film and there is so much rhythm to it.
DEADLINE: What research went into creating a movie about a cheerleading squad?
Devery Jacobs inBackspotXYZ Films
Do you have a cheerleading background?
WATERSON:Ive been working with a cheer team for five years.
I grew up kind of in a sports household, so sports was always playing in and around me.
I played different sports, but my athleticism was music and playing drums.
And it does something to the audience.
And cheerleading is such a pop culture, zeitgeist sport.
But I was like, Well, whats behind that?
When they think cheerleading, they thinkBring it On, comedies, and cute girls in short skirts.
And Im like, No, no, no.
Im talking about concussions.
Im talking about blood, sweat, pushing your body to the limit.
They are throwing bodies in the air.
Name me another sport that does that.
And so it was really being around these cheerleaders that I was able to see the full spectrum.
And then also so much silliness and camaraderie, and they really are a family.
DEADLINE: Five years from page to screen?
WATERSON:Probably around six or seven years.
So, we felt like the little indie that could.
Nobody thought a cheerleading movie could go that far.
We were turned away from grants left and right, and we were just getting nos left right.
But we believed in the film; we believed in the sport.
We believed that cheerleaders deserve their time in the spotlight of being seen as true athletes.
And now we have a theatrical release across Canada and the US, so its pretty crazy.
But why tell the story through the narrative of cheerleading?
WATERSON:Its a world thats super campy that weve never seen grounded before.
Thats what interested me.
Theres a lot of sparkles and glitters, but whats behind that?
And also, the high intensity of that.
You stick it, you hit your performance, or you dont.
And that really dictates everything.
Youre competing against yourself.
But you also show the grit, the damage, and the bruises and blisters.
Riley also has trichotillomania that manifests in plucking her eyebrows under duress.
Why was it important for you to depict these things?
And we always see everybodys finished result, right?
We live in a social media world.
And for me I really wanted to see, what are these young athletes sacrificing?
And what are they sacrificing for the rest of their lives?
You get enough concussions thatll impact you for the rest of your life.
DEADLINE: Lets get into some of these dynamics.
You have Coach Eileen, the girls queer cheer coach.
Can you talk about the choice to make her this tough character rather than leaning into being more empathetic?
And that can exist between different generations.
And sometimes, theres bitterness.
And I really wanted to get into that dynamic.
Not every mentor is going to be a good mentor.
Not every mentor is capable of being a mentor.
And Eileen has her own shit.
Shes going through her divorce.
DEADLINE: Id be remiss if I didnt talk about the rest of the cast in general.
I love the dynamic between Devery, Evan, and Thomas Antony Olajide.
The bond they all have in this movie is so endearing.
What went into casting?
So, writing Devin, we really wanted to verify we had this character who was loving.
I loved seeing Thomas and Devery work together and just him being so tender and loving.
But that role was written for him.
Hes an incredible actor.
Getting to work with him and Devery was one of my favorite moments on set.
I feel so blessed to have producers who just said, Cast who you want.
That was it; I got to cast exactly who I wanted.
And then obviously having Evan.
Lets write a list.
Youll probably get nobody on the list, but well try.
And number one was Evan Rachel Wood.
Lets set up a call.
And in that call she brought up that it reminded her ofThirteen.
She was so great to work with.
Her professionalism on set, just… everybodys raised that week that we had her.
DEADLINE: Wait, 17 days?
This movie was made in 17 days?
Youre the real deal.
She was like, Youre one of the best directors Ive worked with.
Lets knock this thing out of the park.
DEADLINE: You mentioned Elliot Pages production company being a part of this.
How did that come about?
What was the collaboration process like?
And it was in that meeting, Devery was like, Im working onBackspot.
We have a script, were ready to shoot.
Were just trying to finance.
And so, he was like, OK, give me the script.
I want to read this.
And theyve been so incredibly supportive.
DEADLINE: The routines that the cheerleaders do in this movie are intense.
As a debut feature film director, Im guessing this had to be the most challenging part of filming.
I love a good montage; I absolutely love visual storytelling.
Theyre like, I love my calves.
I was like, Cool, show me a move that highlights that.
And then, for the big one-er, we worked through that choreography in pre-production.
So, we really delicately had to kind of weave him in.
And also, kind of pushing in and out, so its not just about the big presentation.
