The Seven Rays

‘Bring It On: The Musical’ is in a spirited legal tussle

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:35:49 +0000

Is the new play based on the 2000 motion picture ‘Bring It On’? Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger believes it is and has enlisted the help of the WRiters Guild of America and attorneys.

Writer Jessica Bendinger, who is filing a suit against the musical “Bring it On”

(Christina House / For The Times)

September 16, 2011|By David Ng, Los Angeles Times

“Bring It On: The Musical,” which begins performances at the Ahmanson Theatre on Oct. 30, promises flashy dance numbers and high-flying acrobatics as rival high school cheerleading squads battle for first place at the national championships.

Off stage, a different sort of battle is shaping up between the producers of the musical and the screenwriter of the 2000 motion picture “Bring It On,” who is arguing that the show is based on the original movie.

Jessica Bendinger, the sole credited screenwriter for the film, claims the musical’s producers never acquired or received permission to use her exclusive rights, according to a request for arbitration filed by the Writers Guild of America. The WGA is seeking damages and to halt the show until the producers have acquired Bendinger’s rights.

The guild is seeking the arbitration with Beacon Communications, an L.A.-based entertainment company that is the producer of the musical along with Universal Pictures Stage Productions. (The former company is now known as Beacon Pictures). Beacon produced the movie, starring Kirsten Dunst, as well as its four direct-to-video sequels. Universal distributed the original movie domestically.

Attorneys for Bendinger are also trying to draw Center Theatre Group into the fray. “Bring It On: The Musical” will start its national tour at the Ahmanson before traveling to more than 10 other cities, including San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Chicago and Dallas.

Bendinger’s attorneys recently sent a letter to Michael Ritchie, artistic director of CTG, requesting the company stop using marketing material that refers to the show as an “original” creation. The letter states that the company’s advertising is “misleading the public” and is damaging to the people who worked on the movie.

The website for CTG describes the production as an “entirely original musical comedy.” Nancy Hereford, a spokeswoman for CTG, said the company has no comment on the legal proceedings.

Universal spokeswoman Kori Bernards said, “There is no basis for this claim and as the legal process unfolds, that will become clear to all parties involved.”

Bendinger claims that the creative team behind the musical have used her story and merely altered some plot elements and character names. “It’s the movie with some convenient details changed,” she said in a recent interview. “If it’s an original, how did they get the idea?”

Bendinger said she got in touch with the WGA in February, when the show had its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. She hasn’t seen the musical but has a copy of the script.

Both the musical and the original film focus on a cheer-team rivalry between an affluent high school and one from a poorer, urban district, according to published reports. But the stage show produced in Atlanta differs from the film in certain respects. In the musical, the perky blond heroine, named Campbell, is reassigned to urban Jackson High School where she must win the respect of her new teammates, as it remains in competition with her old school. The plot twist doesn’t exist in the original movie. The musical also invents supporting characters that don’t exist in the movie, including a cross-dressing student named La Cienaga.

“Bring It On: The Musical” boasts an unusually prestigious creative team for a touring production. The score is co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt, both Tony Award winners for “In the Heights” and “Next to Normal,” respectively. The book for the musical is by Jeff Whitty, a Tony winner for “Avenue Q.”

‘Bring It On’ Screenwriter Alleges Musical Shenanigans

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:33:28 +0000

By KATE TAYLOR

In “Bring It On,” the 2000 movie starring Kirsten Dunst, two cheerleading squads faced off amid accusations of stolen routines. Now that animosity has carried over to a new musical based on the movie.

In a complaint filed last week, the Writers Guild of America accused the producers of the movie of exploiting the screenwriter’s rights by producing a new musical based on the story. The complaint claims that the guild’s contract with producers says that two years after a movie’s general release the right to adapt it into a stage play reverts to the screenwriter. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the claim, the screenwriter, Jessica Bendinger, had been trying to develop her own stage adaptation of “Bring It On” when she learned that the film’s producer, Beacon Communications, was doing so as well. Beacon’s version, which is directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler (“In the Heights”), with a book by Jeff Whitty (“Avenue Q”), and music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”), Tom Kitt (“Next To Normal”), and Amanda Green (“High Fidelity”), had a run earlier this year in Atlanta and is set to begin a 10-city national tour in Los Angeles on Oct. 30.

A review in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the musical one “of the most exciting Atlanta world premieres in many years,” citing its “fiercely funny writing” and “catchy hip-hop tunes.” The Guild’s complaint, which is subject to arbitration, calls for Beacon to immediately cease and desist exploiting the dramatic rights until it acquires them from Ms. Bendinger. It also seeks damages. According to Ms. Bendinger’s lawyer, Neville Johnson of Johnson & Johnson, Beacon will have to respond to the complaint, and then it and the guild will jointly choose an arbitrator.

The original “Bring It On” took in more than $90 million at the worldwide box office. There have been four direct-to-video sequels, but Ms. Bendinger has not shared in the revenue of those, Mr. Johnson said. Beacon’s lawyer, Alan Brunswick of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, told The Hollywood Reporter: “The claim is without merit. We will vigorously defend it.”

Writers Guild blocking “Bring It On” Musical

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:33:02 +0000

Monday August 15, 2011 09:11

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Broadway musicals inspired by popular films are nothing new. Theater crowds routinely line up for “Marry Poppins,” “The Lion King” or “Legally Blonde.” And if you can’t make it to Manhattan, traveling productions usually bring the music and run to you via regional tours.

But on the eve of its first tour, a musical based on the cheerleading comedy “Bring It On” is facing some resistance.

The Writers Guild of America has filed a claim on behalf of original “Bring It On” scripter Jessica Bendinger claiming that that Beacon Communications Corp. and Beacon Communications, LLC are “exploiting Bendinger’s dramatic rights in the cheerleader-themed Bring It On without her consent, in violation of the guild agreement’s ‘separated rights’ provisions.” THR says that the guild “seeks damages and an injunction against Bring It On: The Musical, which is being coproduced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Beacon Communications and others.”

Bendinger says she was working on her own stage version of her original idea for six years, and learned about this rival production from third-party persons.

“I was shocked,” Bendinger says. “A writer works all her life trying to have a first hit. I was not treated well, given the revenue stream I created for them.”

The “Bring It On” musical recently wrapped previews in Atlanta. It is about to start a four-city tour on Oct. 30.

Writers Guild Files Claim Against BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:32:00 +0000

Monday, August 15, 2011; Posted: 09:08 AM – by BWW News Desk

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Writers Guild of America and screenwriter Jessica Bendinger filed a claim last week against BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL, which is to launch a national tour in October. Bendinger seeks damages from Beacon Communications Corp. for ‘exploiting Bendinger’s dramatic rights in the cheerleader-themed Bring It On without her consent, in violation of the guild agreement’s “separated rights” provisions.’

Bendinger claims that she heard about the production while she was writing her own stage adaptaion of the film with Marc Platt. She revealed: ”I was shocked. A writer works all her life trying to have a first hit. I was not treated well, given the revenue stream I created for them.”

To read the full article, click here.

High-flying original musical comedy “Bring It On: The Musical” launches its national tour with a six-week engagement at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre from November 1 through December 11, 2011, with opening night set for November 11. “Bring It On: The Musical” will open the Ahmanson’s 2011-2012 season.

“Bring It On: The Musical” features libretto by Tony Award®-winner Jeff Whitty (“Avenue Q”), music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”), music by Pulitzer and Tony Award®-winning composer Tom Kitt (“next to normal”) and lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (“High Fidelity”). The production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award® -winner Andy Blankenbuehler (“In the Heights”).

In “Bring It On: The Musical,” the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading is intertwined with cutthroat high school politics to tell the story of Campbell, the heir apparent to the head cheerleader at Truman High School. Campbell is at the top of the cheerleader pyramid and she has it all — a strong squad, a doting boyfriend and a straight path to the national championships. Her entire life has been dedicated to honing routines and staying within the strict rules and guidelines, but when a surprise letter arrives, Campbell’s world is thrown upside down.

When the musical comedy premiered in its developmental production at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta last month, Wendell Brock of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “Bring It On: The Musical,” “. . . one high-energy drink: fiercely funny writing, catchy hip-hop tunes and an explosively original mix of singing, acting, dancing and cheer.”

“Bring It On: The Musical” is produced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions / Glenn Ross, Beacon Communications /Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons, and Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson, Executive Producers. Beacon and Universal have partnered over the past decade to produce the popular series of “Bring It On” films.

Season ticket subscriptions for the Ahmanson Theatre will be available in March. For additional information, please visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org/BringItOn. Additional tour engagements will be announced soon. For more information on the national tour of “Bring It On: The Musical” please visit www.BringItOnMusical.com.

Writers Guild Seeks Injunction Against Bring It On: The Musical

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:31:23 +0000

By Adam Hetrick
15 Aug 2011

Producers of Bring It On: The Musical, which is set to launch a U.S. national tour in Los Angeles this October, are facing a claim from the Writers Guild of America that the musical exploits the work of the original screenwriter.
WGA, the union that protects intellectual property and also determines billing credits and residual payments, filed arbitration against producer Beacon Communications, asserting that the work of original “Bring It On” film screenwriter Jessica Bendinger is being exploited without her consent or compensation.

The WGA is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against Bring It On: The Musical, which is set to begin performances Oct. 30 at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

Universal Pictures, which also produced the original 2000 film (and subsequent franchise), is also behind the stage adaptation that is billed as having a completely original book by Tony Award-winning Avenue Q book writer Jeff Whitty.

The stage musical maintains the setting within the world of competitive cheerleading, but finds a new way into the action. None of the character names from the film appear in the stage production.

“As a policy, the producers of Bring It On: The Musical will not comment on legal matters. The national tour will begin performances in Los Angeles on October 30, 2011 as scheduled,” a spokesperson for the stage production said in a statement to Playbill.com.

Bendinger claims she had also been at work on her own stage musical adaptation of Bring It On for the past six years, collaborating with Wicked producer Marc Platt. It is also reported that Bendinger did not share in any revenue stream from the four subsequent “Bring It On” films, which were spawned after the first hit and released direct to DVD.

“I was shocked. A writer works all her life trying to have a first hit. I was not treated well, given the revenue stream I created for them,” Bendinger told the Hollywood Reporter.

Here’s how producers bill the musical: “In Bring It On: The Musical, the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading is intertwined with cutthroat high school politics to tell the story of Campbell, the heir apparent to the head cheerleader at Truman High School. Campbell is at the top of the cheerleader pyramid and she has it all — a strong squad, a doting boyfriend and a straight path to the national championships. Her entire life has been dedicated to honing routines and staying within the strict rules and guidelines, but when a surprise letter arrives, Campbell’s world is thrown upside down.”

The musical has music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights) with additional music by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and lyrics by Kitt’s High Fidelity collaborator, lyricist Amanda Green. Tony-winning In the Heights orchestrator Alex Lacamoire is also on board as musical supervisor.

Bring It On first debuted in early 2011 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Tony Award-winning In the Heights choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, who also staged that production, will direct and choreograph the upcoming tour, which will open in Los Angeles Nov. 11 for a run through Dec. 10 at the Ahmanson Theatre.

The current itinerary for Bring It On follows:

Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 30-Dec. 10 at the Ahmanson Theatre)
San Francisco, CA (Dec. 14-Jan. 7, 2012, at the Orpheum Theatre)
Denver, CO (Jan. 10-21, 2012, at the Buell Theatre)
Houston, TX (Jan. 24-Feb. 5, 2012, at the Hobby Center)
Fayetteville, AR (Feb. 7-12, 2012, at the Walton Arts Center)
Des Moines, IA (Feb. 28-March 4, 2012, at the Civic Center)
St. Louis, MO (March 27-April 8, 2012, at the Fox Theatre)
Charlotte, NC (April 10-15, 2012, at the Belk Theatre)
Durham, NC (April 17-22, 2012, at the Durham PAC)
Providence, RI (April 24-29, 2012, at the Providence PAC)

The stage production is produced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions/Glenn Ross, Beacon Communications/Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons, and Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson.

The”Kid in the Front Row” interviews Jessica

Jennifer — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:22:48 +0000

JESSICA BENDINGER knows a lot about writing. You can’t come away from an interview with her without being inspired. Her first credit as a screenwriter was the hit movie “Bring It On” starring Kirsten Dunst. Jessica’s other screenwriting credits include “First Daughter” and “Aquamarine.”

“Stick It,” in 2006, was her first film as a writer/director. There’ll be many more to follow. She was also brought in as a writer during the 4th Season of “Sex & The City.” That’s a lot of work for someone whose first screenplay credit was only ten years ago. But when you speak to Jessica, it’s not hard to see why she’s been a great success.

Let’s begin with the most important question— what is your favorite movie and why?

I think trying to identify your favorite movie is an impossible task for movie lovers because we are drawn to movies based on what mood we are in at any given moment in time. So my favorite movie changes, any minute of any day of the week, depending on what my mood is. However, some of my favorite moves are Diner, American Graffiti, Lawrence of Arabia, and Bad Santa!! It just depends on the day and my mood.

What do you love most about screenwriting?

I love the freedom of this career, and I use that freedom as a part of my process. I thrive on it, but have the ability to reign it in and generate concrete, timely results if I need to. Somebody once said to me, “Hard work is for people without talent,” but I think you need both. You need talent, but you still have to know what lights you up and what will get your butt in front of the computer whether there’s a paycheck involved or not. I do know the more I write, the easier it is to write. The less I write, the longer it can take to start the car. I mess up all the time, I fall into patterns and struggle to stay conscious, integrated and connected, but I’ve learned to relish the harder stuff for the clarity that follows.

The percentage of women screenwriters in Hollywood is still very low. What thoughts do you have on this, is it getting better?

I honestly don’t know if it is getting better. Probably better in TV than in film. I believe that the hours and the solitude are too crazy-making for most people – men or women. I’d be curious to see the numbers of Hollywood versus the rest of the job population. How off are we? I need to see a power point.

I feel that when screenwriter’s write about women, there is so much to explore, because we are still more likely to see the journey of a man when we go to the cinema. Would you encourage writers to be more diverse in regard to gender – or do you think people should stick to whatever comes naturally?

I think you should be true to who you are as a writer. I don’t think about diversifying at all. It never even occurred to me. In a weird way I know I’m branded that way, this female empowerment writer, but really, writing is writing to me, and I write what I am most interested in and am most enthusiastic about.

You are credited as one of four writers on “The Truth About Charlie.” How was the experience for you; what was your involvement like?

I didn’t think the movie should be adapted, to be honest. I was dubious, and I’m not sure I was totally wrong. I did the first pass when Will Smith was attached to star with Thandie. Will dropped out, and Jonathan wanted to have a whack at the script on his own. That’s the extent of it.

Of the films that you’ve written – have you been mostly happy with how your work has been portrayed on screen?

Bring It On and Stick It because they are my original ideas from start to finish, are my babies. The other work – rewrites – is a more detached animal, because you are repairing someone else’s work.

“Bring It On” was a very big success. Were you expecting this? What effect did it have on your career?

I was not expecting it, but it was delightful and very gratifying. I have been working steadily ever since, so that’s been awesome. It’s great to have created the mother ship of such a huge franchise. That’s hugely flattering and very validating, certainly. When I created it, I suspected it would have an audience. In a full-circle moment, I actually went to a psychic who told me it was going to be a really big hit. It was called Cheer Fever, at the time. He also was very specific about how it was going to be successful, which was interesting. He said it was going to have a huge cult following after its initial release, which is what’s happened with the DVD sequels.

You did some work on “Sex & The City” as a creative consultant. Could you share a bit about what your job entailed?

All that means is I was a writer on the show. It was my credit for working 1 day a week vs. 5 days, as I was coming off Bring It On at #1 two weeks in a row, and very busy/in demand with movie stuff. But Sex & The City was a blast! Season Four was a good time to join the show, because they were coming off a ton of criticism from the end of Season Three (drag queens on a rooftop, anyone?), and they were ready to ventilate the world of the show with some fresh air. It was really fun to get into the skin of the characters, but we had to bring all our personal stories to the writers’ table. We were expected to be brutally honest about experiences we’d had or had heard about, so inevitably everyone’s voice got transfused into the mix. We were like a giant dialysis machine. No — wait! A giant blood bank? A bone marrow transplant? Oh, just pick your own transfusion-y analogy and run with it. I think the new blood challenged some of the old “rules” they had for the first 3 seasons, and it brought a new gravitas to the show that was amazing.

You made your directorial debut with “Stick It” – how was the experience for you?

I loved it and learned so much from it. It is very challenging to shepherd a 28million dollar asset to the finish line successfully. You make huge sacrifices to usher an experience like that through your life when you don’t know all the variables. It is an all-consuming, all-encompassing, exhausting trade-off you make. There are wonderful rewards, but also huge drawbacks personally, physically and emotionally. Although “Stick It” was my first stab at directing a feature, I’d directed music videos first. Having a background in Music videos was great because it taught me how to stay out of the way, for one. I think first-timers make the mistake of trying to exert too much authority on set, and that’s absurd. You are working with cast-members and crew members who have logged more hours on sets than you will ever log as a director in your lifetime. Therefore, hang back. Observe. Stay out of the way. If you’ve done your job, by the time you get on set everyone is doing theirs. Directing is an amazing opportunity to experience collaboration on a massive scale. You get to work with these very specific craftsmen who have vast reserves of experience. It’s incredible.

Do you want to do more directing?

Yes, definitely. I have two projects in the works. The first is the adaptation of my novel, The Seven Rays. And the other is a music-driven movie.

I often share a view on this site that, sure, you can read screenwriting books- but more than anything, you need to find what works for YOU. Is this is a view you share?

Totally!! There are many ways to come up with ideas, write outlines and birth screenplays. The biggest journey we all have is finding out what works for us, and the beauty of that is that it will be so radically different for everyone. I believe in following my enthusiasm, my curiosity and my fear. Not necessarily in that order.

Finding the discipline to write features is tough. Even people who call themselves screenwriters and dedicate their lives to it find it hard to sit down and do the work. Why is this? And what advice can you give?

Writing features is tough! You have to involve so many other people to get it from being the written word to being a screenplay and most people don’t survive that process. It’s really kind of rigorous and it rewards people who aren’t necessarily the best writers but they are the best at the process of screenwriting, which is this really unruly social and political process. I think I have charted the waters of writing in Hollywood by trying to have a really unique point of view. I love what I love and I’m unapologetic about it. What works for me is to be true to myself, and trying to write the movies, books and TV shows that I want to see. Hollywood is very much a geo-political, commodity-driven economy, and that truth can really stop/impact people in lots of ways. Make sure qualified readers with genuine critical discernment are giving you notes. If you don’t have access, then pay for it with a reading service if you can (Script Shark, ScriptXpert), etc. Just write for the joy of writing and the joy of expressing and cultivating your craft. Very few scripts get made. Make it your business to relish the process of writing so you got something out of it besides a movie. The world is a better place when people have something meaningful and happy-making in their lives, so do what you love and do it as much as you can.

We haven’t seen any films that you’ve written for a few years now. I know that you were busy writing and releasing a novel, but now that’s done- what can we expect to see from you in the coming years?

I’ve been busy writing my next original movie, which takes place at a Berklee School of Music type of place. My mother is a musician and my dad was in advertising and wrote jingles, and I grew up very much in the margins of the music business, so this movie is a love letter to the more working side of show business. It’s less the American Idol and Glee version of that and more what happens to people who really explore it as a career and how hard that is. It takes place at a music conservatory college and follows four different students with different majors in music. I’m really excited about that.

And, I’ve also co-written music for a long time, so I’m also co-writing a solo album for a new artist. That’s very gratifying. It’s so nice to work in three-minute chunks, after having worked on movies and novels. Songs are a really sweet vacation from such a long form. My dad was a jingle writer, so it’s really in my blood. I never did it seriously because my parents did it professionally, so I was always daunted by that. I’m having fun working on other people’s material, where I don’t have to be responsible for the whole thing. I just do my part of the song, and then I get to hear the finished product. It’s really nice.

For original article and comments: http://www.kidinthefrontrow.com/2010/12/jessica-bendinger-screenwriter.html

One-on-One Q&A with Jessica in LA!

Jennifer — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:38:56 +0000

12 Steps to Writing for Hollywood’s A-List: A One-On-One Q&A with Jessica Bendinger

Are you “in it to win it?”

JB will “Bring It On” to those privileged to join our CWC audience.

Jessica is the reel deal. She’s recently written, directed or produced six Box Office successes.

Bring It On…is the most pleasurable pop creation of the past 10 years. ~ The Village Voice

Stick It is a triumph…that brings a sly eye and avid imagination to every scene. ~ The New York Times.

Ms. Bendinger has been a magnet for Oscar winner Jeff Bridges, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Wahlberg, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Katie Holmes.

Give yourself the Holiday gift you deserve: The one-on-one Q&A with Jessica Bendinger.

Two lucky audience members will also win a critique of the first 2-pages of their manuscript.

Although this opportunity would cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere, our Guests donate a mere $10.00 to enjoy this one-of-a-kind event, which is a genuine $99.00 value.

And dues paying Members get in free. Remember: we are a non-profit foundation; your support may be tax deductible.

More about Jessica: http://www.jessicabendinger.com/biography

Submit your 2-page sample:

http://www.meetup.com/Writers-Coalition/about

Become a CWC Patron:

www.calwriterssfv.com/MembershipApplication.htm

When: Saturday, December 11^th, 7 PM

Where: VIVA /13261 Moorpark St / Sherman Oaks

What: Creative Seminar + Appetizer Social

Jessica Bendinger on Current TV

Jennifer — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:28:10 +0000

The Seven Rays Author Jessica Bendinger on TODAY Show

Jennifer — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:01:23 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For their full Seven Rays schpiel, go here.

LIKE Jessica Bendinger’s Facebook FAN PAGE!

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:51:20 +0000

All the cool kids are doing it.