'Prom Pact' Cast Talk Friendship & Subverting Stereotypes in New Featurette
Prom season is upon us, and so, too, is Disney's latest original movie Prom Pact. The movie follows best friends Mandy and Ben, two high schoolers who'd rather focus on anything other than prom. Ahead of the movie's premiere on March 30, Disney released a new featurette breaking down the biggest themes of the YA rom-com.
Executive producer Julie Bowen kicks-off the video, comparing the movie to '80s rom-coms but with its own twist. Star Peyton Elizabeth Lee further emphasizes this point, noting that while familiar and classic stereotypes will be present, they will be presented differently. While Prom Pact keeps those similar aspects, it also strives to show characters that fall in the jock and other popular kid categories are "three-dimensional." Additionally, cast member Margaret Cho shared that the movie is "a really great coming-of-age story" as its characters learn what is and isn't important in their lives.
The video continues as cast members Monique Green, Jason Sakaki, and Arica Himmel focus on the friendship aspect of the movie. For Green, friendship is at the core of the movie, which is primarily seen through Mandy and Ben. Sakaki adds that the movie also portrays friendship as "the one thing that's really gonna last." The sentiment falls in line with what we've seen so far from the trailer and clips sprinkled throughout the featurette. While there will, of course, be a romantic aspect, much of what we've seen is Mandy's bond with Ben, and her forming new friendships before jumping into anything else.
Lee, Cho, Milo Manheim, and Blake Draper cap off the featurette, discussing the movie's themes through a wider lens. They each offer thoughts that build upon the coming-of-age aspect of the movie, and how its messaging is applied to life in general. For Manheim and Cho, Prom Pact is about living day-to-day and accepting that sometimes things don't work out, but it can be for the better. To Lee and Forge, the movie focuses on the self -- creating one's identity and stepping out of comfort zones to try new things.
What Is Prom Pact About?
Described as a "heartfelt romantic comedy," the movie follows Mandy and Ben, who are surrounded by extravagant promposals at school. However, Mandy won't be distracted by the excitement of prom, instead setting her sights on getting fully admitted to Harvard instead of staying on the waitlist. To do so, she strikes a deal with popular jock Graham, whose father is a prominent senator and Harvard alum. Along the way, Mandy begins to realize there's more to Graham than meets the eye, and more to life than Harvard.
The movie is written by Anthony Lombardo and directed by Anya Adams. Adams executive produced alongside Bowen, Melvin Mar, Rachael Field, and Jake Kasden, with Lee as co-producer. Additional cast includes Chelah Horsdal, David S. Jung, and Wendi McLendon-Covey.
Prom Pact premieres Thursday, March 30 on Disney Channel, streaming next day on Disney+. Watch the new featurette below:
ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kvbO7zGanmpukYrOmrdOuqZ6spJp8