Backspot | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | D. W. Waterson |
Screenplay by | Joanne Sarazen |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | James Poremba |
Edited by |
|
Music by | Casey Mo |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | XYZ Films |
Release dates |
|
Countries |
|
Language | English |
Backspot is a 2023 drama film directed by D. W. Waterson in their feature-length directorial debut and stars Devery Jacobs, Kudakwashe Rutendo, and Evan Rachel Wood. Jacobs also serves as producer, along with Waterson, through their Night is Y production company. [1]
The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. [2]
The plot follows two cheerleaders named Riley and Amanda as they navigate the world of competitive cheerleading. [3]
The project is produced by Page Boy Productions, Night is Y, and Prospero Pictures. It was written by Joanne Sarazen, based on a story by D. W. Waterson. Elliot Page, Matthew Jordan Smith, John Davidson, and Katisha Shaw executive produce, with Alona Metzer, Waterson, Jacobs, and Martin Katz as producers. [4] In December 2023, XYZ Films had acquired the U.S., Australia and New Zealand distribution rights to the film. [5]
In cheerleading, a backspotter acts as a support to the flyer during cheerleading stunts, which is referenced in the title of the project. [6]
As well as producing the movie, Jacobs was announced as one of the leads of the film in October 2022. [7] Newcomer Kudakwashe Rutendo was announced as the other lead in February 2023. [8] Evan Rachel Wood was revealed to have joined the production in March 2023. [9]
Principal photography began in Toronto in February 2023. [10] It was reported by Collider that filming had wrapped in March 2023. [11]
Backspot was released in the Canada and the United States on May 31, 2024. [12]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 85% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10.The website's consensus reads: "An outstanding showcase for Devery Jacobs, Backspot is front of the line as an insightful and thrilling sports drama." [13]
Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in film and television.
Andrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He rose to prominence for his debut role in Billy Elliot (2000), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming one of the youngest winners of the award. He is also known for his leading roles as Tintin in The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and as Ben Grimm / Thing in Fantastic Four (2015).
Elliot Page is a Canadian actor and producer. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Andrew Fried is an American documentary filmmaker, producer and director, and the president of Boardwalk Pictures. Fried is known for producing documentary films and television series, such as Chef's Table, The Black Godfather, Last Chance U, 7 Days Out, My Love, Men in Kilts, Booktube, Street Food, Cheer, Val and The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow. He directed the 2020 documentary film We Are Freestyle Love Supreme.
Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs is a Canadian actress. For her performance in Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013), she garnered a Canadian Screen Awards nomination for Best Actress. In 2023 and 2024, for her role on Reservation Dogs, she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
Into the Forest is a 2015 Canadian apocalyptic independent drama film, written and directed by Patricia Rozema, based on the 1996 Jean Hegland book and starring Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood as orphaned survivalist sisters in a forest without electrical power.
XYZ Films is an American independent film production and sales company founded in 2008 by Aram Tertzakian, Nate Bolotin and Nick Spicer, and is based in Los Angeles. It focuses on international genre films, including The Raid: Redemption, The Raid 2 and On the Job.
D. W. Waterson is a Canadian DJ, drummer, writer, director, and web series creator. They are known for their work as a performer and for creating, writing, and directing the award-winning web series That's My DJ (2014–2017). Their feature-length directorial film debut, Backspot, was released in 2023.
Lamar Johnson is a Canadian actor and dancer. He is known for his roles as West in the dance drama The Next Step (2013–2019), as Seven Carter in the American drama film The Hate U Give (2018), as Charlie in All the Bright Places (2020), and as Henry Burrell in The Last of Us.
The Order is a horror drama television series created by Dennis Heaton that ran for two seasons streaming on Netflix. It was written by Heaton, Shelley Eriksen, Rachel Langer, Jennica Harper, Penny Gummerson, and Jason Filiatrault. The series premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2019. The series stars Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Matt Frewer, Sam Trammell, Katharine Isabelle, and Max Martini.
Rachel Anne Sennott is an American comedian, actress and screenwriter. After training at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, she began her career on the New York City open mic scene with a regular gig on It's A Guy Thing. She later co-developed two web series for Comedy Central.
The Hardy Boys is a mystery drama television series, based on The Hardy Boys book series created by Edward Stratemeyer. The show is produced by Nelvana and Lambur Productions. The first season was released on Hulu on December 4, 2020, and the second season was released on April 6, 2022. The series has been renewed for a third and final season on July 26, 2023.
The Sun at Midnight is a Canadian drama film, directed by Kirsten Carthew and released in 2016. The film stars Duane Howard as Alfred, a caribou hunter in the Canadian Arctic who befriends Lia, a rebellious teenager who has been sent to the area to live with her grandmother following the death of her mother.
AGC Studios is an American film and television production studio. It was founded and launched by Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford in February 2018 as a platform to develop, produce, finance and globally license a diverse portfolio of feature films, scripted, unscripted and factual television, digital and musical content from its dual headquarters in Los Angeles and London. The new studio's Hollywood output has a wide-ranging multicultural focus, designed for exploitation across an array of global platforms including major studio partnerships, streaming platforms, traditional broadcast and cable television networks and independent distributors, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Phoenix Rising is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by Amy J. Berg. It follows Evan Rachel Wood as she tells her story of domestic violence and her campaign for justice. It aired on March 15–16, 2022, on HBO.
Dead Ringers is an American psychological thriller drama television miniseries developed by Alice Birch. It is based on the 1988 film of the same name by David Cronenberg, itself adapted from the 1977 novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 21, 2023.
Kudakwashe Rutendo is a Canadian actress, most noted for her starring role as Amanda in the 2023 film Backspot.
Here & Queer is a Canadian web series, which premiered in 2022 on CBC Gem. Hosted by Peter Knegt, the series is a talk show about LGBTQ arts and entertainment, with each episode centred around a conversation with one or two guests associated with a recent LGBTQ-related book, television, film or activism project.