The highly popular dolls BRATZ finally come alive in BRATZ, the first live action feature film based on the chic fashion dolls. As the Bratz navigate their way through this story, we will see how the four young women represent honesty, camaraderie and most importantly friendship.
As long as they can remember, Yasmin (Nathalia Ramos), Jade (Janel Parrish), Sasha (Logan Browning) and Cloe (Skyler Shaye) have been “BFF” – Best Friends Forever. Inseparable since they first met, the young girls have always supported each other’s individual personalities, talents and fabulous fashion styles. But now as the foursome enter Carry Nation High, Yasmin, Jade, Sasha and Cloe face a brand new world: a blackboard jungle, where for the first time they discover life as a teenager means dealing with a system of social cliques, all strictly enforced by senior Meredith Baxter Dimly. Finding themselves being pulled further and further apart, the girls band together and rise up as “the Bratz” to fight peer pressure, in turn learning how true empowerment means standing up for your friends, being true to oneself and living out one’s dreams and aspirations
BRATZ is directed by Sean McNamara (RAISE YOUR VOICE). Crystal Sky Pictures is financing the film. Arad Productions’ Avi Arad, MGA’s Isaac Larian and Crystal Sky’s Steven Paul are the film’s producers, and Crystal Sky Pictures president Benedict Carver is the executive producer. Lionsgate is distributing BRATZ in the United States.
“BRATZ is X-Men for girls,” says Avi Arad, the producer behind such notable blockbusters as the “Spider-Man,” trilogy, “The Hulk,” three “X-Men” features, “The Fantastic Four,” “The Punisher,” “Ghost Rider” and a string of other #1 box office successes.
So what was it about this project that inspired this legendary producer to take on the task of bringing the #1 fashion doll in the marketplace to life? Friendship…the same theme and value that embodies what BRATZ is all about.
“Isaac is an old friend of mine and he said he was wondering about making the dolls into a live action movie,” says Arad. “I said ‘I think I see my way through it’ and I became really interested in doing it.
“I felt that there is a story to be told to young girls that has to do with empowerment, with believing in yourself. Being a tween is a very tough age and the schoolyard is like a jungle. This movie is very special to me and I felt that BRATZ has the opportunity to appeal to the same philosophical issues as some of the other movies I’ve made like the X-Men films. What makes these dolls really unique is their diversity.”
“Fans have been asking for this kind of a BRATZ movie for a long time,” says Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, the dolls’ creator. “Avi Arad is a creative genius so I knew we would get the kind of film we wanted. This movie is about friendship, it’s about promoting diversity and acceptance of the people who are around you.”
Both these sentiments are echoed by producer Steven Paul, “Avi is Hans Christian Andersen reincarnated, he’s one of the great storytellers of all time,” Paul comments. “If you sit opposite him and you close your eyes, you’ll begin to envision an entire world. I loved the idea that there were these four girls who are best friends and the idea of kids going on a journey with them.”
Inherent in bringing a one-dimensional figure to life is how you create a backstory, a history that meshes and is easily communicated in a storyline designed to appeal to a young but savvy audience. With somewhat of a carte blanche, Arad explains what was at the core in giving breath to these dolls and humanizing them into characters that would resonate with kids.
“In order for you to make these dolls, these characters come to life, you have to expand their environment — you have to give them a home life, parents, aspirations, enjoyments, hobbies and dreams. In a movie you have the opportunity to take all of these things and surround them in real life — family, friends, going to school, talking about their fears, how do they overcome them and how does all that fit together so that kids can relate.”
Having a core audience in place may help in the sense that there is brand recognition but the other reality is there are also high expectations to live up to, especially in considering the sensitivities of loyal fans.
Larian speaks to those issues, “The challenges for us in making this live action versus animation was the girls who buy the dolls. They have their own imagination on how these dolls look. So are they going to be okay or disappointed when they see the live action, real people playing those characters?” asks Larian. “But I think we’ve got a great, great cast and a terrific story so I’m sure our fans will love this film.”
For director Sean McNamara, taking the journey of transforming the dolls into real girls was a great opportunity to work once again with young actors (which is his trademark) as well as exploring another dynamic of filmmaking.
“I chose to direct BRATZ because it’s in my wheelhouse — it’s my genre. I love working with talented actors who are young and just finding themselves. I’ve had the good fortune of finding Shia Lebouf, Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff and directed them in their first television series. BRATZ was a great opportunity to do a film that is a brand and I’ve never done that before. Also, I really like being involved in making great family movies.”
Arad offers insight to what makes a good film. “To make an emotional movie, you have to concentrate on a storyline that works – you want the girls to be cool and to be role models and to do both, you need to tie down their lives.
“Our job as filmmakers is to start from a point of view and inject personalities,” adds Arad. “We have a responsibility and an opportunity to tell a lot more about these dolls by bringing them to life, kids will see different life lessons, life experiences. What is the language? The language we use is music, fashion and friendship.”
The producers were thrilled when they knew they landed the right director, someone who shared the same vision and that had the right sensibilities to work with a young cast.
“Sean is a bright, big teddy bear,” says Arad. “This movie is fun, it’s edgy but it’s really positive. You want a guy that understands and feels our script is full of moments about self-sacrifice, not in an over-the-top way, but just what kids do for other kids. There is a real sense of justice and redemption and that’s a journey Sean was interested in.
“When you’re cutting scenes you want to be able to say, ‘Wow this guys feels the emotion, delivers the emotion and gives the kids an environment to act in.’ Sean gets everything he needs out of these kids in a really fun and respectful way. We were very lucky to get him,” says Arad.
With BRATZ being the hottest selling fashion doll, the open casting call lured thousands of girls across the country to the Los Angeles offices of Crystal Sky.
As Paul recalls, the task seemed daunting at times as the line of girls auditioning seemed infinite. “Casting the four BRATZ was really, really difficult, there were many choices because there’s not just one talented kid out there. Each one has something special that they bring; either they’re a great dancer or someone is a better singer or there’s a little dramatic element to them, so what you end up looking for is somebody that has sort of the best of everything.”
Arad adds, “We looked for girls who gave us a good vibe in the room about themselves and we watched them rehearse together. We also watched their parents. You can tell a lot by meeting the parents of young kids.
“These girls worked really hard to get their roles and we saw so many others that were amazing but at the end of the day you have to pick four. We were also extremely lucky with Chelsea Staub who plays our antagonist, Meredith — she’s an amazingly talented actress.”
For Janel Parrish who plays Jade, she saw the stars working in her favor. “It was kind of ironic when I went to audition because I had just done a voice-over for a BRATZ commercial so I thought it must be a sign. I first tried out for the part of Yasmin and didn’t get it so I took off to Florida with my sister when I got called back to come in and audition for the part of Jade. When my manager called me to say I got the role, I was jumping up and down yelling ‘Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?’ I was so excited, it still hasn’t sunk in.”
For Logan Browning, she flew all the way out to Los Angeles from Atlanta to try for the role of Sasha and was soon told they passed on her. “After they told me I didn’t get it, I went back home and just as I made my peace with it; they called me back to try it again. This time I got it and I was the happiest person on earth,” says Logan.
Nathalia Ramos who plays Yasmin was already in the back of McNamara’s mind after auditioning her for a television series the previous year. “I met her for the first time last year when I was casting for a family show,” says McNamara. “Although she wasn’t right for that at the time, I told my casting director ‘You got to keep a pin in her, we’ve got to know where she’s going.’ When this movie came about I said, ‘Get Nathalia in here.’ She can act, she’s gorgeous, and she’s the right age.”
Skyler Shaye thought her nerves wouldn’t hold out; she got called back six times before landing the role of Cloe. She said that the role wasn’t locked down until they screen tested her and Nathalia together.
Co-producer Kyla Kraman tells about the casting of Meredith. “Chelsea Staub is actually the first person we auditioned for the role, which is a story I love to tell because that almost never happens. What I love about this role is that it’s not just some mean girl and that’s it. Meredith is very happy and friendly, willing to help everyone on the outside and then with a turn of a head, you get a look and you just know she has another agenda. Chelsea walked into the audition and just nailed it.”
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