Synopsis

At Herrington High, a series of unsettling incidents leads several students to suspect that their teachers are being replaced by extraterrestrial parasites. As the infection spreads through the school, a mismatched group of teenagers must overcome their personal divisions, identify the alien host, and find a way to stop the invasion before it reaches the wider community.

Factoids & Trivia

• The story originated with a 1990 screenplay by David Wechter and Bruce Kimmel. The project remained unproduced until the success of "Scream" helped Miramax acquire it and move it into production.

• Kevin Williamson, already associated with the post-"Scream" teen-horror cycle, reworked the screenplay while retaining the original story credit for Wechter and Kimmel.

• Although the story is set in Herrington, Ohio, much of the movie was filmed in Texas, including Austin, Dallas, San Marcos, and Lockhart. The Texas School for the Deaf supplied the main high school location.

• The film combines teen drama with science-fiction horror and openly draws on earlier invasion stories, particularly "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Contemporary coverage also noted echoes of "The Thing," "Forbidden Planet," and "The Puppet Masters."

• Creature and makeup effects were handled by KNB EFX Group, with additional digital work from several effects companies. The alien parasites therefore combine practical effects work with computer-generated imagery.

• Marco Beltrami's score was developed to mix orchestral horror writing with electronic sounds, matching the film's blend of older science-fiction ideas and late-1990s teen thriller style.

• Produced on a reported $15 million budget, "The Faculty" earned roughly $63 million worldwide. Its reputation grew after release, and it is now commonly regarded as a cult favorite of the 1990s science-fiction horror cycle.