IN THEATERS AND ON DEMAND SEPTEMBER 18
MPAA Rating: R for horror violence and gore, language including sexual references, and some drug use.
Runtime: 88 minutes
For more information, please contact:
Liz Berger
Lionsgate
2700 Colorado Avenue
Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90404
P: 424-214-4210
E: lberger@lionsgate.com
Adam Kersh
Brigade Marketing
548 W 28th Street
#332-334
New York, NY 10001
P: 917-551-5853
E: adam@brigademarketing.com
Cast (Character):
Elijah Wood (Clint)
Rainn Wilson (Wade)
Alison Pill (Lucy)
Jack McBrayer (Tracy)
Leigh Whannell (Doug)
Nasim Pedrad (Rebekkah)
with Ian Brennan (Vice Principal Simms)
and Jorge Garcia (Rick)
Cooper Roth (Patriot)
Miles Elliot (Dink)
Morgan Lily (Tamra)
Sunny May Allison (Shelley)
Armani Jackson (Calvin)
Peter Kwong (Mr. Hatachi)
Kate Flannery (Charman)
Matt Jones (Sheriff Dave)
Rebecca Marshall (Emily)
Directed by:
Screenplay by:
Story by:
Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion
Leigh Whannell & Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan &
Leigh Whannell
& Josh C. Waller
Daniel Noah
Josh C. Waller
Elijah Wood
Tove Christensen
Georgy Malkov
Steven Schneider
Ian Brennan
Leigh Whannell
Gevond Andreasyan
Sarik Andreasyan
Hayden Christensen
Seth William Meier
Vladmir Poliakov
Seth William Meier
Ryan Farhoudi
Doug Brown
Spencer Medof
Lyle Vincent
Thomas William Hallbauer
Kreng
Brett W. Bachman
Produced by:
Produced by:
Executive Producers:
Executive Producers:
Line Producer:
Co-Producers:
Director of Photography:
Production Designer:
Original Music by:
Editor:
Special Makeup Effects
Designed and Created by:
Costume Designer:
Casting by:
Justin Raleigh
Gina Scarnati
Terri Taylor, CSA
COOTIES
SYNOPSIS:
From the twisted minds of Leigh Whannell (co-writer of Saw and Insidious) and Ian Brennan (co-creator
of “Glee”), Cooties is a horror comedy with unexpected laughs and unapologetic thrills. When a cafeteria
food virus turns elementary school children into little killer savages, a group of misfit teachers must
band together to escape the playground carnage. The film stars Elijah Wood (The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey, The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Rainn Wilson (“The Office”), and Alison Pill (“The Newsroom”) as
teachers who fight to survive the mayhem while hilariously bickering in an uncomfortable love triangle
on the worst Monday of their lives. The Sundance hit Cooties will be one of the debut releases of the
newly-launched Lionsgate Premiere label, which will release the film on September 18th in select
theaters and on demand.
Lionsgate, SpectreVision, and Glacier Films present Cooties.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION:
The germ of the idea for a film called Cooties came to producer Josh C. Waller while chatting with his
young niece about imaginary schoolyard contagion. The conversation immediately inspired Waller to
picture a horror scenario in which an industrial-strength “cooties” epidemic turns pre-pubescent
children into feral predators. Waller shared his concept with his SpectreVision producing partners Daniel
Noah and Elijah Wood. “Josh came to us saying ‘I can’t believe no one’s ever done a horror film called
Cooties about monstrous children,’” recalls Noah. Wood immediately sparked to the possibilities.
Saw Meets Glee
To develop their premise into a full-blown screenplay, Waller, Noah and Wood recruited horror auteur
Leigh Whannell. Responsible for co-writing the first three Saw movies and writing the blockbuster
Insidious franchise, Whannell loved the Cooties title but insisted on bringing humor into the mix.
“Originally we wanted Cooties to be a straight-up hardcore horror film,” says Noah. But Whannell recalls
that when the producers presented him with their ideas, his response was, “Guys…it’s called Cooties!”
To crank up the story’s joke quotient, Whannell brought on his friend Ian Brennan to co-write the
screenplay. Brennan had no experience in the horror genre but plenty of practice writing about teachers
and students as co-creator of the hit high-school musical TV series “Glee.”
“Obviously I write a lot in a school setting, and also my mom and sister are teachers,” Brennan notes. “I
really liked the idea of channeling the desire of a teacher, particularly a substitute, who wants to punch
a kid in the face. The cooties outbreak gave us the perfect excuse to show that.”
In addition to their different genre experiences, the two brought unique writing styles to the project. “I
was amazed at Ian because he’d go away for ten minutes and come back with seven pages of razorsharp His Girl Friday-worthy dialogue, whereas for me, in an hour, I would have written ‘The moon
breaks free of the clouds,’” Whannell says. “But because of my experience in the horror genre, I have a
subconscious knowledge of structure and that came out when we were doing the outline.”
An “Honest” Directing Duo
Once Whannell and Brennan delivered their Cooties script, SpectreVision invited several directors to
pitch their takes on the material. Though they’d never made a feature film before, directing team
Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, known collectively as HONEST, won over the producers by spending
two months creating a “lookbook” complete with storyboards, a video, and a chart showing how the
virus would affect kids at various stages.
Impressed with HONEST’s presentation, SpectreVision embraced the idea of a two-person directing
team. “I’ve worked with a directing pair before,” says Wood. “The fear would be that there would be
conflicting information, or even too much information, but that wasn’t the case at all with Jon and Cary.
One would give notes to the actors while the other stood back. They were always in synch and more
importantly, they have a warmth and friendliness that extends to everyone on the cast and crew.”
The Ft. Chicken Faculty
With the script and directors in place, SpectreVision began casting actors to portray the quirky faculty
members held captive by their cooties-infested pupils. “It was important to get actors with real comedy
chops who could bring a brightness and energy to the material.” says Noah.
One of the first actors to respond to the Cooties challenge was Rainn Wilson. Best known for his
portrayal of Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight Schrute on the long-running NBC comedy series
“The Office,” Wilson portrays bitter gym teacher Wade Johnson.
“The idea was intriguing,” says the actor. “When I read the script it had a real story, real characters, real
heart, great transformations and a really interesting emotional journey. I got very excited about doing
this movie.”
Jack McBrayer, who starred as perennially chipper network page Kenneth Parcell on the Primetime
Emmy®-winning sitcom “30 Rock,” savored his role as art teacher Tracy Simmons. “It sounded like super
fun, plus I’ve never done a horror film before,” says McBrayer, who popularized his goofball persona on
Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
“I usually just smile a lot and talk Southern,” adds the Georgia native. “On Cooties, I got to talk Southern
and scream real big.”
For Alison Pill, Cooties represented a drastic departure from her breakthrough role as a serious-minded
TV producer in Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama “The Newsroom.” “Cooties was one of the few scripts I’ve
read alone in my living room that made me laugh out loud,” says Pill. “I actually guffawed.”
“Saturday Night Live” veteran Nasim Pedrad welcomed the opportunity to channel ultra-conservative
grade-school teacher Rebekkah Halverson. “What I like about Rebekkah is that she has a very specific
worldview and mannerisms. Leigh and Ian wrote her brilliantly and hilariously. That’s a lot more fun to
take on than a character who you’re trying to figure out because you’re not clear about who she is.”
Whannell created the role of oddball science teacher Doug for himself. “Ian and I started out as actors
and ended up as writers because acting is such a thankless task,” he laughs. “The only way I can get
good acting roles is to write scripts.”
Brennan also did double duty by portraying the hapless Vice Principal Simms. “The one good thing about
writing for yourself is that you never have to ask how the line is supposed to be read. We know exactly
how it’s intended to go,” he says.
Wood, famed for his portrayal of Frodo in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy, had no intention of
starring as the unlikely hero of Cooties, but his producing partners had other ideas.
“Every time we made a cast list, we came to the conclusion that Elijah was the only actor who could play
Clint,” says Waller. “Elijah is charming and endearing and he fought right up until the last minute about
joining the cast.”
Ultimately, Wood enjoyed wearing two hats as both actor and producer. “I loved what Leigh and Ian had
written,” says Wood. “It was a lot of fun to work on a movie about zombie-like children and to have it
come to life so beautifully with this incredible cast.”
Casting the Cootie Kids
While the adult actors dispense the lion’s share of Cooties’ wise-cracking dialogue, it’s the kids who
drive the action scenes. “We got incredibly lucky,” says Waller, describing the short audition process.
“The kids who came in on the first day of the casting process ended up being the ones we chose.”
“In the heyday of the horror film, the monsters were portrayed by brilliant actors like Boris Karloff, Lon
Chaney,” adds Noah. “In our film, the prosthetics are very limited, so we really had to rely on the talent
of these child actors. They delivered amazing, ferocious, terrifying and heartfelt portrayals, which had
very little to do with makeup. It was in the performance.”
On Location in L.A.
Cooties began principal photography in July 2013 at Los Angeles’s Dorris Place Elementary School.
Filmed largely at this single location, cast and crew enjoyed the luxury of shooting most of the movie in
sequence. “Cooties is front-loaded with introductory scenes and characters meeting each other,”
explains Wood. “That was a great way for us to start production because the actors got a chance to
embody these defining moments in a fresh way for the first time. By the end of the first week, we were
off and running. Literally running, because the kids with cooties started to invade the school.”
Faced with limited time and budget, HONEST co-directors Milott and Murnion made the most of their
time on set. “We did a lot of planning,” says Murnion. “Before we got to the set each day we had
storyboards of the major sequences as well as extensive shot lists; we knew exactly how we would be
approaching each scene.”
But for all their efficiency, Milott and Murnion managed to create a relaxed atmosphere. “Within a few
days, the cast really felt like a family and the school became our home,” says Waller. “It really felt like
everyone on the crew wanted to be there and shared equally in the directors’ vision and excitement for
the project.”
When Improv Meets Horror
Despite the constraints of a 25-day shooting schedule, Milott and Murnion encouraged their cast to go
off script and ad lib lines of dialogue when the occasion called for it. “Jon and Cary were adamant about
getting what was in the script, and then letting the actors do their thing,” explains Waller. “When you
have brilliant actors with backgrounds in improvisation, you want to let them have at it.”
McBrayer, who honed his comedy chops at Chicago’s legendary Second City troupe, appreciated the
directors’ flexibility. “They were totally open to us adding our own tweaks and input,” says the actor. “If
you’re a comedian especially, it’s very rewarding to be able to put your own spin on something.”
Coming from a background that includes a Tony®-nominated performance in the Broadway drama “The
Lieutenant of Inishmore,” Pill relished being part of the free-wheeling Cooties cast. “I’ve been such a fan
of so many of these people,” she says. “It was amazing to see their comedic timing and watch them
come up with insane, hilarious improv. You couldn’t ask for a better group to support you and laugh at
your jokes.”
Getting Physical
Although comic veterans Wilson and McBrayer had plenty of experience in crafting wisecracks and
eliciting laughs, Cooties also required them to run, scream, and fight for weeks on end. “For me,” says
Wilson, “The most physically challenging scene was one where I had to run across the schoolyard to
escape an advancing mob of rabid Cootie kids, clotheslining about half a dozen of them along the way.
There were many takes. Unlike my character, Wade, I am not a former football star. I just play one in the
movies.”
Hardcore Popcorn Flick
After putting the finishing touches on the film’s blood splatters and screams in postproduction, the
Cooties filmmakers hope they’ve accomplished their goal of infecting audiences with laughter and terror
in equal measure. “We’d love to see people laugh at the ridiculousness of our scenario while being truly
scared by the horror elements,” says Wood. “At the end of the day, they should have a lot of fun. After
all, our movie is called Cooties and it’s about killer children. I think that says it all.”
ABOUT THE CAST:
ELIJAH WOOD (Clint, Producer) is widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation and
continues to challenge himself with roles spanning the spectrum of style and genre. Wood made an
indelible mark in the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in the lead role of
the hobbit, 'Frodo Baggins.' Directed by Peter Jackson, the films, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two
Towers, and Return of the King were all critically lauded as well as being box office record setters. In
addition, Return of the King won the Academy Award® for Best Picture as well as 11 Academy Awards®
in all, tying Titanic for the record. Additional credits include Maniac, Grand Piano, The Hobbit, Celeste
and Jesse Forever, Treasure Island, Happy Feet 2, The Romantics, 9, Oxford Murders, Paris Je’Taime, Day
Zero, Happy Feet, Bobby, Everything is Illuminated, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hooligans, Sin
City, Ice Storm, Ash Wednesday Black and White, as well as four seasons of FX’s comedy “Wilfred.”
Wood was most recently seen in Nacho Vigalondo’s Open Windows and in Andy Goddard’s Set Fire to
the Stars. He will next star in Breck Eisner’s The Last Witch Hunter, starring alongside Vin Diesel and
Michael Caine in the supernatural action story. Lionsgate will release the film this October.
RAINN WILSON (Wade) starred in the long-running NBC sitcom “The Office,” a Primetime Emmy® and
Screen Actors Guild Award® winner for Best Comedy. Starring alongside Steve Carell, John Krasinski and
Jenna Fisher, Wilson endeared himself to millions and earned two Emmy nominations with his portrayal
of Dwight Schrute, an eccentric paper salesman.
Wilson currently plays the title role on the Fox series “Backstrom” and will soon be seen in the sci-fi
thriller Uncanny, with Mark Webber and Lucy Griffiths. He voices a character in the forthcoming
animated film Robodog, which also features the voice acting of Ellen Page and Ron Perlman.
Wilson first gained notice in his role as a pitiable mortician’s apprentice on HBO’s Primetime Emmy®winning series “Six Feet Under.” He has also guest-starred on “CSI”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,”
“Dark Angel” and “Monk.” He co-starred in the TV movie “When Billie Beat Bobby.” Wilson received his
first WGA Award for his turn as host of the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.
Wilson turned in a humorous cameo in the summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He
was also seen in the buzzed-about indies Peep World, with Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman; Hesher,
with Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; and Super (which he also co-executive produced),
directed by James Gunn and co-starring Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon.
Wilson voiced an alien with plans to conquer the Earth in the 2009 animated feature Monsters vs.
Aliens. Other film credits include The Rocker, The Last Mimzy, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Sahara,
Baadasssss, Full Frontal, Almost Famous, America’s Sweethearts, House of 1000 Corpses and Galaxy
Quest.
Wilson honed his theater skills in New York for years before making the trip to Los Angeles to pursue onscreen work. His stage credits include performances in Broadway plays “London Assurance” and “The
Tempest” as well as Off Broadway productions of “The New Bozena” (a piece he created), “Plunge,”
“Venus,” “Titus Andronicus” and “Twelfth Night.” He attended the graduate acting program at New York
University.
ALISON PILL (Lucy) will next be seen in the ABC telefilm “Original Sin,” alongside Joan Allen and Zach
Gilford. She also voices a character in the animated feature Zoom, featuring the talents of Gael García
Bernal and Mariana Ximenes. Previously, Pill co-starred in Joon-ho Bong’s Snowpiercer, opposite Chris
Evans, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton. Other film credits include Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love and
Midnight in Paris as well as Goon, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Milk, Dan in Real Life, Dear Wendy and
Pieces of April.
Pill recently starred on the acclaimed Aaron Sorkin series “The Newsroom,” for HBO. Other television
work includes “In Treatment,” “The Book of Daniel” and “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.”
On stage, Pill recently appeared in “Wait Until Dark,” directed by Matt Shakman at the Geffen
Playhouse. She also starred opposite Ben Stiller in “House of Blue Leaves,” worked with Edie Falco in
“This Wide Night” and joined Abigail Breslin in a Broadway revival of “The Miracle Worker.” Other
theater credits include “Reasons to Be Pretty,” “Mauritius” and “Blackbird” (for which she received
Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Award nominations). Pill was nominated for a Tony
Award® for her Broadway debut in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” and her work in “On the Mountain”
netted her a Lucille Lortel Award nomination. She shared in the cast’s Drama Desk Award for
Outstanding Ensemble for the U.S. premiere of “The Distance from Here.”
JACK McBRAYER (Tracy) earned a Primetime Emmy® nomination for his portrayal of the eager and wellmeaning page Kenneth Parcell on the beloved NBC series “30 Rock.” He can currently be seen in “The
Jack and Triumph Show,” airing on Adult Swim. Up next for McBrayer is the feature Bad Night, costarring Adam Pally and Matt Walsh.
Over the years McBrayer has appeared in such films as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, opposite Jason Segel
and Russell Brand; Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly; The
Campaign, alongside Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis; The To Do List, with Aubrey Plaza and Bill Hader; and
They Came Together, opposite Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd.
The actor voiced the lead role of Fix-It Felix in Wreck-It Ralph, the animated hit directed by Rich Moore
and produced by John Lasseter. McBrayer has also voiced characters in films such as Despicable Me and
TV series “The Simpsons” and “Archer.”
LEIGH WHANNELL (Doug, Co-Writer and Executive Producer) recently co-wrote, produced and appeared
in the Australian comedy The Mule, starring Hugo Weaving and Angus Sampson. Whannell wrote and
directed the forthcoming horror sequel Insidious: Chapter 3, in which he co-stars alongside Dermot
Mulroney and Stefanie Scott. Other writing credits include Dead Silence and the first two Insidious films.
Whannell was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He began his career as an actor, appearing in
acclaimed Australian series such as “Neighbours” and “Blue Heelers.” Whannell was also a host and film
critic on the TV series “Recovery,” where he interviewed such superstars as George Clooney, Jackie Chan
and Tim Burton. The show became a cult hit.
Whannell studied film at the prestigious Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, where he met
filmmaker James Wan. Together, they began developing ideas and this led to Whannell writing the
screenplay for Saw (in which he also co-starred). In addition to his work on Saw II, he wrote and starred
in Saw III and continued as the executive producer of the Saw franchise. In 2010 the Guinness Book of
World Records dubbed Saw the most successful horror-movie series of all time.
Whannell has appeared in such films as The Matrix Reloaded, Death Sentence, The Pardon, Dying Breed
and Crush. He also lent his voice to a character in the animated feature Legend of the Guardians: The
Owls of Ga-Hoole.
NASIM PEDRAD (Rebekkah) is best known for her small-screen work as a regular on “Saturday Night
Live” and “Mulaney.” She also recently guest starred on “New Girl” and is a regular on the forthcoming
Fox series “Scream Queens.” Additional television credits include “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,”
“The Awesomes” and “TripTank.”
Born in Iran, Pedrad was a performer with the Sunday Company at The Groundlings and has frequently
performed her one-woman show “Me, Myself & Iran” at the Los Angeles divisions of the Upright Citizens
Brigade Theater. The show was selected for the 2007 HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. She has also
received an LA Weekly Best Comedic Performance of the Year Award as the lead in her comedic spoof
“After School Special.”
Pedrad then guest-starred on “Gilmore Girls” and had a recurring role on “ER” from 2007 to 2009. In
2011 she was a recurring voice on the Fox animated series “Allen Gregory” and went on to voice
characters in The Lorax and Despicable Me 2 before booking an on-camera role in The Dictator.
IAN BRENNAN (Vice-Principal Simms, Co-Writer and Executive Producer) is co-creator and executive
producer of the long-running Fox hit “Glee,” an achievement for which he received two consecutive
Golden Globe Awards®.
Brennan is currently writing the screenplays Rifts, for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, and One Hit Wonders,
with his “Glee” collaborators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. His other writing credits include 15
episodes of the forthcoming series “Scream Queens,” on which he is a producer.
A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Brennan studied and performed the craft of acting at the
Steppenwolf and Goodman theaters in his hometown of Chicago before moving to New York, where he
worked at the Vineyard, Playwrights Horizons and the MCC Theater.
JORGE GARCIA (Rick) first came to the attention of television audiences with his portrayal of Hector
Lopez on two seasons of the CBS sitcom “Becker.” He is best known, however, for the role of Hugo
“Hurley” Reyes on the long-running ABC drama “Lost.” Garcia has also appeared on a number of series
including “Spin City,” “Fringe,” “Mr. Sunshine,” “Californication,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Maggie” and
“How I Met Your Mother.” He is a series regular on “Hawaii Five-O.”
Garcia will next be seen in the feature comedy Get a Job, alongside Alison Brie, Miles Teller and Anna
Kendrick. He is currently filming the light-hearted Western, The Ridiculous 6, co-starring Adam Sandler,
Will Forte and Taylor Lautner.
Born in Nebraska and raised in Los Angeles, Garcia graduated from UCLA as a communications major.
When producers saw his performance opposite Larry David on an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,”
Garcia was invited to audition for their upcoming television series. While he came in to read for a
different role, the producers were so impressed with him that they created his signature character on
“Lost” specifically for him. Several years later Garcia would follow “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams to another
ominous island, as one of the stars of the series “Alcatraz.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
JONATHAN MILOTT and CARY MURNION (Directors) are a directing team also known as HONEST. Their
partnership was formed in the spring of 1997 when the duo met while attending the Parsons School of
Design and have been working together ever since. HONEST is an award-winning creative studio
dedicated to creating unconventional content in all forms. They have more than a decade of experience
crafting compelling visual, narrative and interactive media. In addition to winning an ADC Young Gun
Award, HONEST has been featured in numerous magazines, both online and in print.
In 2003 Nike asked the team if they wanted to be involved in a short-film series they were developing
called The Art of Speed. Nike picked 10 directors who were to write a script for a short film, all with the
theme of speed. Milott and Murnion came from athletic backgrounds but never finished in first place in
any of their athletic endeavors, so they decided to create a sport in which anyone could win. The result
was Shortest Race, a race that was only 39.9 inches long. Nike was thrilled with the subsequent film and
it screened at film festivals across the country.
From there Milott and Murnion directed short films with support from Diesel, Panasonic and again Nike.
The duo also started filming commercials and developing digital ad campaigns. HONEST has collaborated
with top ad agencies including Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; BBDO; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Publicis,
Leo Burnett; Wunderman; Mullen; and JWT.
In 2008 a film production company developing features to be screened late at night in college towns
asked HONEST to submit their ideas for a short film. Milott and Murnion wrote a script for a short film
called Boob, about a breast implant that comes alive and terrorizes a hospital staff as it tries to escape
the clutches of an evil surgeon. Boob was a big hit, taking them around the country to film festivals such
as SXSW, IFFBoston, GenArt and Newport Beach. With its unique premise and innovative visual style, the
short also garnered Hollywood attention.
Since then the filmmakers’ work has been recognized with multiple projects short-listed at Cannes, the
Webby Awards and FWA. Their work has been featured in Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Directors Showcase
and the Shots New Directors Showcase, Vimeo Staff Picks and the CA Web Picks.
DANIEL NOAH (Producer)
As a writer, Daniel Noah has developed numerous screenplays and television pilots for major studios
and networks including Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers Pictures, Twentieth
Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Dimension, NBC, ABC, The CW, Imagine and The Mark Gordon Company.
Daniel co-wrote the screenplay Believers (2007) for director Daniel Myrick (The Blair Witch Project) and
Warner Brothers Pictures, and wrote McCanick (2013) for Bleiberg Entertainment. As writer-director he
helmed Twelve (2001) for Emerging Pictures, and more recently Max Rose for Lightstream Pictures,
featuring Jerry Lewis’ first screen role in 13 years. Max Rose premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in
2013. He is programming-director of “SpectreFest,” a multidisciplinary genre festival held annually in Los
Angeles.
JOSH C. WALLER (Producer)
Following an eight year tour in the US Marine Corps, Josh C. Waller wrote the story for, produced, and
directed the critically-acclaimed, female action film, Raze, which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film
Festival. The New York Times described the film as, "lurking, waiting to slug you in the face!" Raze was
released theatrically in 2014 by IFC Midnight. He immediately followed Raze by producing and directing
McCanick, a gritty cop drama penned by SpectreVision partner Daniel Noah. The emotional character
study stars David Morse and Cory Monteith (in his final performance) and premiered at the 2013
Toronto International Film Festival, where it was acquired by WellGO USA for theatrical release in 2014.
Currently, Waller again teamed with partner Daniel Noah, producing and directing Noah’s script Camino,
a political action film set deep within the jungles of 1980's Colombia.
TOVE CHRISTENSEN and GEORGY MALKOV (Producers) are partnered in an extensive slate of features
for their company Glacier Films, which was launched in 2013. The pair also served as producers on the
Glacier production American Heist, an action film starring Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster and
Adrien Brody.
Other producing credits include Vanishing on 7th Street, The Education of Charlie Banks and Shattered
Glass, which was nominated for Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.
STEVEN SCHNEIDER (Producer) has served as producer or executive producer on a number of highly
successful genre films including the Insidious and Paranormal Activity franchises.
Schneider began his career as a film critic with graduate degrees in philosophy and cinema studies from
Harvard, NYU and the University of London. He has authored numerous books on horror and world
cinema, including the bestseller 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Schneider moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a career in producing. He helped bring to the screen
the record-breaking Paranormal Activity and produced subsequent installments of the series including
the forthcoming Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.
Other producing credits include The Devil Inside, Barry Levinson’s The Bay, Rob Zombie’s The Lords of
Salem, Wer and Area 51, among many others. Schneider also served as an executive producer on the
ABC series “The River.”
IAN BRENNAN and LEIGH WHANNELL (Executive Producers) See About the Cast
SETH WILLIAM MEIER (Line Producer) has amassed producing credits that range from the theatrical
production of Halfway Back from the Edge of the World to the original multi-camera sitcom “With
Friends Like These...” As an actor, Meier has also appeared in feature films such as Maid in Manhattan
and the television series “Outside Providence,” “Sleeper Cell,” “Vanished,” “Without a Trace” and
“Criminal Minds.”
Meier’s credits as unit production manager and/or line producer include the features In My Pocket,
Monster Mutt, My Substitute Is an Alien and the forthcoming Darkchylde (for John Carpenter). Alongside
Glen Trotiner, he maintains the West Coast division of Burnside Entertainment/Arch Entertainment. The
company’s producing credits include The Briefcase, Bella, Bernard and Doris, Union Square and King of
Herrings (winner of the 2013 Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival).
More recently, Meier joined forces with the special makeup effects and independent production
company Illusion Industries Inc., becoming their studio liaison and head of physical production under the
title of executive vice president and staff line producer. While there, Meier helped facilitate and oversee
builds on TV shows such as “Sons of Anarchy” and “Southland” along with feature films The Smurfs and
The Smurfs 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Iceman and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Meanwhile, he
continued to oversee production, financing, delivery and distribution on all of Illusion’s titles.
To get back on set, Meier recently took a smaller role as an advisory board member. Since then he has
produced the half-hour pilot “Maker Shack Agency,” for Amazon Studios.
Meier was obsessed with drawing and painting from a young age. Unbeknownst to his parents, he
reached out to the founding fathers of Walt Disney Animation: Ollie Johnson, Frank Thomas and Ward
Kimball. Through a love of character expressed on the page, he began a spirited correspondence and
was coached by the Disney veterans to improve his skill. “Take up acting to learn your characters,” was
the bit of advice that led young Meier to take to the stage in the Boston community. He would ultimate
receive his SAG card for a role in School Ties.
Meier continued his training on both sides of the camera at Ithaca College before going abroad to study
in London. In New York, he received the chance to play for the Detroit Tigers with Kevin Costner in Sam
Raimi’s baseball drama For Love of the Game. Meier also recurred on the acclaimed HBO series “Oz” and
met his mentor and future business partner, Glen Trotiner. Together they worked on the indie feature
Overnight Sensation, for which Meier received the Karl Malden Award for Excellence.
To further his working knowledge of the business, Meier then worked at the HWA Talent Agency. He
moved to Los Angeles only after he was given the unique experience of working for Joel Schumacher as
an “on-camera assistant director” on the contained thriller Phone Booth.
Meier now lives in Los Angeles.
LYLE VINCENT (Director of Photography) recently shot the SpectreVision production A Girl Walks Home
Alone At Night, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Cinematography.
Previously, he lensed another horror film, Devoured (winner of Best Director and Best Actress at the
New York City Horror Film Festival).
Vincent graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate film program, where he specialized in
cinematography. In 2007 he was the recipient of the ASC Heritage Award. He began his career as a
cinematographer responsible for additional photography and second-unit work on numerous feature
films. Vincent then shot the critically acclaimed feature Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting in mainland
China. The film premiered at the 2009 Tokyo Film Festival and went on to receive a large and successful
release in China.
Vincent’s body of work includes many commercials and music videos. He has collaborated with such
distinguished directors as Laura Belsey, Bruce Dowad, Rich Wafer, Phil Van and Jason Zada. He also shot
a five-part series entitled “Brightfalls” for the Xbox video game Alan Wake. Each 10-minute episode
served as a featurette prequel to the game’s storyline.
"COOTIES"
Unit Production Manager
Seth William Meier
First Assistant Director
Joe McDougall II
Second Assistant Director
Lori Ashfield
Second Second Assistant Director
JoAnn Lowrie
Production Supervisor
Tracy Thomas
CAST
Clint
Elijah Wood
Wade
Rainn Wilson
Lucy
Alison Pill
Tracy
Jack McBrayer
Doug
Leigh Whannell
Rebekkah
Nasim Pedrad
Vice Principal Simms
Ian Brennan
Rick
Jorge Garcia
Patriot
Cooper Roth
Dink
Miles Elliot
Tamra
Morgan Lily
Shelley
Sunny May Allison
Calvin
Armani Jackson
Mr. Hatachi
Peter Kwong
Charman
Kate Flannery
Sheriff Dave
Matt Jones
Emily
Rebecca Marshall
Lincoln
Jake Brennan
Mr. Pederson
Mark Christopher
Lawrence
Racer
Aiden Lovekamp
Moon
Lauren Stovall
Safety Helmet Boy
Jared Breeze
Rhonda
Angela Bullock
Patriot's Mom
Nikita Ager
Crying Mother
Elizabeth Bogush
Miss Nash
Boni Yanagisawa
Mrs. Gordon
Lauren Katz
Mr. Henderson
Brian Henderson
Mrs. Birk
Tammie Baird
Tricycle Girl
Ashley Miller
Cootie Kid
Chloe Rose
Stunt Coordinator
Matt Berberi
Stunt Performers
Randall Archer
Kelli Barksdale
Emily Brobst
Bryan Cartago
Danny Downey
Marissa Labog
Sam Ly
Tara Macken
Kara Peterson
Ming Qiu
Stunt Riggers/Safety
Brett Smrz
Jared Eddo
Jeff Pruitt
Mark Aaron Wagner
Nick Benseman
Stand Ins
Troy Gonzalez
Erika Del Toro
Camera Operator /Steadicam
Scott L. Dropkin, S.O.C.
1st Assistant Camera
E. Gunnar Mortensen
2nd Assistant Camera
Rob Pittman
B Camera Operator
Chris "CT" Taylor
B Camera 1st Assistant Camera
T. Fouts Sandoval
B Camera 2nd Assistant Camera
Michelle Mann
Digital Image Technician
Michael D. Hardwick
Stills Photographer
Tony Rivetti Jr.,
S.M.P.S.P.
Camera Assistant
Todd Kappelt
Chief Lighting Technician
Matthew Thiemann
Assistant Chief Lighting Technician
Luke Miller
Set Lighting Technicians
Pat Russo
Frank Endewardt
Jose Felix
Bradley C. Ferm
W. Vincent Pagoda
Graham Chart
Benny Alvarado
David Adams
Thomas Anderson
Stephen Irvine
Tom Wood
Wink Mann
Jeffrey Siljenberg
Balloon Technician
Erik Arendt
Hot Head Technician
Steven F. Miller
Key Grip
Geno Kerry
Best Boy Grip
Russell Nordstedt Jr.
Best Boy Grip
Alexander Griffiths
Dolly Grip
Gray Lanaux
Grips
Todd Liggitt
Greg Wilson
David Peirce
Michael Listorti
Vadim Frumin
Mark Vollmer
Chris Christensen
Andre Hollins
Matt Minke
Sound Mixer
Zsolt Magyar, C.A.S.
Boom Operator
Tim D. Lloyd
Utility Person
Victoria Bowes
Art Director
Jasmine Garnet
Set Decorator
Ali Matilla
Lead Man
Nic Weethee
Set Dressers
Sarah Taub
Glenn Ryan Jr.
Bruce Bellamy
Gary R. Leshner
Peter Angles
Joseph DeRosa
Christopher Dumas
Kristina Kasmin
Andrew Kim
German Velasco
On Set Dresser
Yukion Frierson
Propmaster
Blanche Sindelar
Assistant Propmaster
Andre Martin
Additional Props Assistant
Lee Cunningham
Construction Coordinator
Casey Garrett
Foreperson
Christopher Garr
Painter
Sergio Martinez
Artistic Consultant
Neil D'Monte
Buyer
Jeremy Cisneros
Art Department Assistant
Delano Clark
Art Department Interns
Susannah Honey
Allison Lopes
Key Costumers
Julia Bly
Natasha Konowalow
Costumers
Ryan Lennon
Yuki Tachibe
Costume Production Assistants
Carly Campbell
Suki-Rose Etter
Seamstress
Sara Bacon
Makeup Department Head
Eleanor Sabaduquia
Key Makeup Artist
Liz Mendoza
Makeup Artists
Hugo Villasenor
Michelle Chung
Yoko Nobushi
Steve Costanza
Kato DeStefan
Martina Kohl
Luis Garcia
Molly Crator
Carlton Coleman
Natalie Thimm
Ralis Kahn
Brian Kinney
Ani Plotki-Maloney
Rocky Faulkner
Special Makeup Effects
Designed and Created by
Fractured FX, Inc.
Special Effects Makeup Department Head
Justin Raleigh
Special Effects Makeup
Danielle Noe
Kelly Golden
Project Coordinator
Michael Ezell
Office Manager
Deedee Malone
Prosthetic Department
Jo Holland
Sculptors
Kelly Golden
Kodai Yoshizawa
Mold Department
Joe Gomez
Karla Alves
Christopher Hernandez
Hair Department Head
Yesim "Shimmy" Osman
Assistant Department Head Hair
Tijen Osman
Hair Artists
Pavy Olivarez
Kya Bilal
Tina Fabulic
Leslie Borchard
Cyndi Vellmure
Location Manager
Jared Parsons
Location Production Assistant
Kevan Tucker
Script Supervisor
Diane Durant
Production Accountant
Jessica Shannon
Assistant Production Accountant
Rebecca Ryan
Additional 2nd 2nd AD
Lisa Chu
Additional 2nd 2nd AD
Matthew Baker
Additional 2nd 2nd AD
Alexis Olsen
DGA Trainee
Corinne Wedlake
Key Office Production Assistant
Stephanie Louie
Office Production Assistant
Tito Alverio
Key Set Production Assistant
Josh Larson
Set Production Assistant
Stefon L. C.
Megan K. Drayton
Assistant to Elijah Wood
Hannah Wood
Assistant to Tove Christensen
Meg Dudley
Assistant to Daniel Noah
Dawn McElhare
Assistant to Ian Brennan
Troy Terry
Assistants
Mary Ann Pianka
Alan Clark
Casting Associate
Sarah Domeier
Extras Casting
Bill Dance
Extras Casting Associate
Terence Harris
Transportation Captain
Michael Locke
Transportation Co-Captains
Blaine Currier
Kim Magruder
Drivers
Robert Mullins
Gary W. Jackson
Bill Hannah
Mike Van Item
Franck Pelluchon
Brian Stickgold
Philip Henderson
Robert Barone
Ken Kaplan
Louis Mendoza
Kelly Murphy
William Peters
Catering
Hollywood Caterers
Chef
Hugo Cortez
Craft Services
Luis Moreno
Craft Services Assistants
Kevin Vallejo
Carlos Uribe
Set Medic
Robert Caballero
Studio Teacher
Christine Miller
Additional Studio Teachers
Patrick Jackson
Charmaine Boos
Special Effects Coordinator
Josh Hakian
Special Effects Assistants
David Waine
Chris Cline
Jay T. Rockwell
Gary F. Bentley
Unit Publicist
Michael Klastorin
ADDITIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
Second Assistant Director
Peter Merwin
Second Second Assistant Director
Brent R. Clark
B Camera 1st Assistant Camera
Lisa K. Ferguson
B Camera 2nd Assistant Camera
Aaron Schuh
Yuka Kadono
DIT
Lee Sumners
Set Lighting Technicians
Sonoko Shimoyama
Chris Primero
Mark 'Pierre' Cane
Don Abernathy
Derrick Esperanza
Ramian Williams
Thad Hall
Guy Maturo
Key Grip
Travis Belgard
Best Boy Grip
Rowan G. Byers
Dolly Grip
Andrey Kremer
Grips
Nicholas Kirsten
Chris Godfrey
Frank Garbutt
Sound Utility Person
Jay Golden
Set Decorator
Brandi Kalish
Lead Man
Dean Zingus
Set Dressers
Mike Barnett
Carl Jones
Susie Thompson
Ryan Donohue
Pete Kang
On Set Dresser
Robert New
Greensman
Steven James Smally
Assistant
Samantha Layton
Gregory
Prop Assistant
Ed Martin II
Special Effects Coordinator
John Hartigan
Special Effects Foreman
Zak Knight
Special Effects Technician
Sean K. Gordon
Special Effects Pyro Technician
Steve Newquist
Makeup Department Head
Alex Noble
Makeup Artists
Gina Rylander
Megan Areford
Blake Shepard
Leonard MacDonald
LuFeng Qu
Edward French
Dave Snyder
Hair Artists
Traci E. Smithe
Sarah Ault
Location Manager
Dale Dreher
Location Production Assistant
Nancy Bruno
Script Supervisor
Toby Forlenza
Assistant Production Accountant
Myisha Jimerson
EICB
Desirée Stone
Set Production Assistants
Chance Bostick
Melissa S. Cottingham
Rosa
Adam Morgan
Transportation Captain
Eric Miller
Drivers
Jeff Gold
Seth Levine
Charles Gatson
Larry Smith
Will Machato
Mike Hurwitz
Leonardo "Maka"
Bautista
Guy Michaels
Victor Moore
Jim Kelley
Craft Services
Speedys Craft Service
Craft Services Assistant
Eduardo Garcia
Set Medic
Cindy Swartz
Studio Teacher
Phil Eisenhower
SECOND UNIT
2nd Unit Director
Todd Tucker
1st Assistant Director
Lori Ashfield
2nd Assistant Director
Matt Baker
2nd Unit DIT
Zack Charney Cohen
Gaffer
Felipe Solares
Best Boy Electrician
Matt Hingstman
Key Grip
Sergio Silva
Best Boy Grip
Joel Jaspan
Sound Mixer
Kevin Bellante
Teacher
Sandy McNeil
Make-Up Artist
Bridget O'Neill
Hair Stylist
Lara Cilento
Special Effects Make-Up Department Head
Martin Astles
Art PA
Ignacio Genzon
2nd Unit Propmaster
Lee Cunningham
Set Medic
David Falicki
2nd Unit Accountant
Brett Becker
2nd Unit Transportation Captain
Sean Erman
POST
Post Production Supervisor
Chris J. Russo
Editorial Services
Third Floor Productions,
Ltd & Jon Jorgensen
S. Robyn Wilson
Digital Intermediate
Provided By Tunnel Post,
Santa Monica, CA
DI Producers
Alan Pao
Heather Toll
Colorist
Mark Todd Osborne
DI Editors
Taylor Mahony
Sebastian PerezBurchard
Sound Design by Jeffery
Alan Jones
Post Production Sound by
Alan Audio Works, Inc. Los
Angeles, CA
Supervising Sound Editor
Jeffery Alan Jones
Sound Editors
Ando Johnson
Matt Howard
Eloisa Diaz
Dialogue Editors
Patrick Garrison
James Washington
Foley Artists
Tanner Parker
Alan Archer
Re-Recording Mixer
Jeffery Alan Jones
Additional Sound Services
Owen Granich-Young
Darren King
Gregory King
Mike McKone
Jon Greasley
John T. Graves
Jeffrey Dyal
E. Niles Klein
Additional Foley Services
JRS Foley
Visual Effects Provided by
Space Monkey, Inc.
Visual Effect Supervisor
Joe DiValerio
Digital Effects
Phillip Aupperle
Didier Levy
Additional Visual Effects
Terminal FX
Original Music Composed
Mixed & Produced By Kreng
Music Coordinator
Tim Husom
Musical Assistance & Transcriptions
Benjamin Glorieux
Strings & Choir Recorded at
Motor Music, Belgium
Recording Engineer & Musical Assistance
Thomas De Pauw
Strings
The *Sun*Sun*Sun String
Orkestra
First Violin
Jeroen Baert
Second Violin
Yumika Lecluyze
Viola
Karel Coninx
Cello
Serpahine Stragier
Choir
Het Kinderkoor van de
Vlaamse Opera
Choir Leader
Hendrik Derolez
Additional Strings by
Kreng's Diabolik Dozen
Bass - Mike Delaere,
Johannes D’Hoine, Peter
Jacquemyn
Cello - Benjamin Glorieux,
Pieter Matthynssens, Sofie
Sweygers
Alto - Natalie Glas, Sigrid
Keunen, Katrien Van
Remortel
Violin - Claudia Ibarra de
Broeckhove, David Van
Ransbeeck, Louise
Vanbiervliet
Recorded at Motor Music
Studios, Mechelen. Belgium
by Thomas De Pauw
"I Want You To Love America"
"God and a Shotgun"
Lyrics & Music by IAN BRENNAN
Written by ANGELA
WOOD, NOAH
NEEDLEMAN
Arrangement by BENJAMIN GLORIEUX
Performed by RYAN
WOOD
Sung by ELINE HADERMANN
"My Rack"
"Pop Goes the Weasel"
Written by ANGELA WOOD and BENJI HARRIS
Written by TRADITIONAL
Performed by ANGELA WOOD
Arranged and Performed
by PEPIJN CAUDRON
Co-Executive Producers
Michael Wexler
George Castrounis
In Association with
Maple Leaf Capital
Legal Services Provided By
Rosen Law Group &
Pafundi Law Firm
Phillip L. Rosen, Sarah
Dubman, Beau Stapleton
Harris E. Tulchin &
Associates
Pafundi Law Firm
Script Clearance & Product Placement
Clearance Domain
Camera Equipment Provided By
Camtec
Camera Dollies Provided By
Chapman/Leonard
Studio Equipment, Inc.
Grip and Electric Equipment Provided By
Quixote
Payroll Provided By
EASE Entertainment
Extras Payroll Provided By
EFS
Production Insurance
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Comic Book Artwork Created By
Neil D'Monte
Footage courtesy of
Shutterstock, Inc., Used By
Permission Wavebreak
Media
Stock media provided by
Wideweb, Josh Fancher,
Rocky Mountain, Visionpix/
Pond5.com
SPECIAL THANKS
Our amazing cast, the
parents of all our wonderful
child actors, and our
families.
Leigh & Ian, without their
beautiful script, we would
be nowhere.
Ben Weiss
Jay Shaw
Beau Stapleton
Benny Pitt
Ace Norton
Lauren Smith
Carl Beyer
Jairo Alvarado
Christine, Chloe and Charlie Meier
Joel Baral
Monkeyland Audio
Hanley Baxter
Tara Strauss
Dave Becky
Calvin Main
Joannie Burstein
Lawrence Inglee
Joanne Colonna
Doug Lucterhand
Andrew Deane
Brian Goldberg
Brian Depersia
Deb McIntosh
Jason Garber
Mark Schullman
Scott Henderson
Stacey Testro
Michael Kives
Amanda Dempsey
Jo Yao
Alphabet Signs
Electus
McFarlane Toys
Tim Husom
Ryan Farhoudi, our "Jon
Peters"
Scott Nicolaides, Prosight
Wayland Worldwide LLC
Posters Courtesy of
Metallica
Posters Courtesy of U2
Principle Management Ltd
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare
Festival
Charlie, Dean and Lindsay at
the Black Cat
Hadrian Belove and the
Cinefamily
Robert C. Baral, An
Accountancy Corporation
Posters Courtesy of
Universal Studios Licensing
LLC
Susan Grant & The Staff of
Dorris Place Elementary
School
Daniel R'Bibo - Gallagher
Entertainment Insurance
Services
TUNNEL LOGO
Filmed on Location in Los
Angeles, California
This project was made
possible with the support of
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
AND THE CALIFORNIA FILM
COMMISION.
American Humane
Association monitored the
animal action. No animals
were harmed®. (AHAD
03962)
All characters depicted, names used, and incidents portrayed in this film are fictitious. No identification
with actual persons is intended nor should be inferred. Any resemblance of the characters portrayed to
actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States of America, Canada, and other
countries. Any unauthorized exhibition, distribution, or reproduction of this motion picture or video
tape or any part thereof (including the soundtrack) may result in severe liability and criminal penalties.
Copyright © 2014 Cooties, LLC
All Rights Reserved