The Clovers only took up about one-third of “Bring It On,” despite the previews making it look like they might have split their time with RCHS equally. Those characters were testing well with audiences in early screenings, and the filmmakers knew they needed to expand Union’s role. But, it seems, not in a way that would ultimately change the feature film. It appears that extra scenes were scripted and shot with Union and the other Clovers actors, but they were only ever intended to be used in the trailers.
Union recalled filming the extra scenes, and the lingering sense of utter injustice. She said:
“The Clovers were only in like a third of the movie, and when they started showing it to test audiences, The Clovers tested through the roof. […] They were like, ‘We need more with The Clovers but we can’t add it to the movie. We’re going to shoot scenes, fake scenes, that will only be in the trailer to create the illusion that it was like a 50-50 movie.’ But what’s interesting is, the people spoke. When the people spoke, they were like ‘Okay, we got to deliver … at least fake deliver.’ And the rest is kind of history. It’s wild to me.”
The irony, of course, shouldn’t be lost on anyone. “Bring It On,” after all, was ultimately about giving credit to the Clovers, a crew of Black women, after their spotlight had been stolen by the white kids next door. The previews for “Bring It On” tricked audiences into believing that the film’s Black actors would get equal screen time as the white cast members, but then continued to follow Torrance and her crew.
The marketers of “Bring It On” would have benefitted from watching “Bring It On.”