Mean Girls Musical Movie: Release Date, Cast, Plot, And More Info
Get out your pink shirts and hide your burn books because we've got some pretty fetch news to share. The Broadway adaptation of the hit movie "Mean Girls" is getting the movie musical treatment, bringing Cady, Janis, Damian, and the Plastics to the streaming screen. This means that "Mean Girls" is now joining the ranks of other favorites like "The Producers," "Little Shop of Horrors," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Hairspray" as a movie that became a musical that then became a movie musical. (No, the stage recording of "Heathers: The Musical" is not yet eligible for this distinction as it was a recorded stage production, sorry.)
The "Mean Girls" musical is one of the best film-to-stage adaptations in recent years, so the announcement of the movie musical is very exciting. Not to make anyone feel so old that they spontaneously age into dust or anything, but the Lindsay Lohan-starring "Mean Girls" turns 20 in two years. The movie musical is the perfect way to get everyone in the mood for the source film's anniversary and introduce the story to a new generation without having to acknowledge the existence of "Mean Girls 2." (Yes, that's a real movie that exists.)
Here's everything we know so far about the new adaptation.
When and where to watch the Mean Girls movie musical
When the film was first announced, "Mean Girls: The Musical" was presented as being shot specifically for Paramount+. It would have joined the ranks of exclusive legacy sequel projects for the streaming service like "Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe," "Orphan: First Kill," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
However, on September 22, 2023, Variety announced that the film would be pivoting away from streaming exclusivity and would instead be getting a theatrical release on January 12, 2024. This echoes what Paramount did with the horror hit "Smile," which was originally slated to be a direct-to-streaming release but instead became a smash-hit at the box office once put in theaters. While the studio did not give a reason for this pivot to a theatrical release, the current explosion of popularity surrounding Reneé Rapp (who plays Regina George in the film) might have something to do with it. Rapp released her debut album, "Snow Angel," in August of 2023, scoring the biggest first week for a debut album by a female artist in 2023 so far. It's definitely a wise choice to have a film with a pop star in the theaters.
What we think the Mean Girls movie musical will be about
As the "Mean Girls" movie musical is based on the stage adaptation of the 2004 film, for the most part, the plot is the same. However, plenty of updates and changes will allow the movie musical to stand on its own. For starters, the "Mean Girls" musical is narrated by Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard, who present the story as a cautionary tale. Cady Heron is starting public school for the first time at North Shore High, at first taken under the wings of Janis and Damian. Soon, the clique known as The Plastics set their sights on Cady, and Janis encourages her to befriend the trio as a way to bring down Queen Bee Regina George's reign of popularity once and for all. The more time Cady spends with the Plastics, the more she finds herself transforming into one of them — a mean girl.
While there's a chance the stage adaptation will make even more changes while being adapted once again for the screen, the big changes made for the musical will hopefully stay the same. Coach Carr, who is a predatory and fetishistic figure in the original film, is barely a character in the stage version. Additionally, the "Jingle Bell Rock" scene is replaced by an original number, "Rockin' Around the Pole." Damian is given a more prominent place in the story, Gretchen has more complex character development, Karen is so much more than a "dumb blonde," and Regina is less spiteful and more #GirlBoss.
The stage version also incorporates social media, which wasn't nearly as vital to the teenage experience in 2004 as it is now. But even with these changes, the "Mean Girls" musical still shares the same themes of loyalty, sisterhood, friendship, and staying true to yourself.
What we know about the Mean Girls movie musical cast and crew
Australian actor Angourie Rice, who is known for playing Betty Brant in the "Spider-Man" films and starring in "Senior Year" and "Honor Society," will be starring in the "Mean Girls" musical as Cady. Rice recently performed a cover of Pat Benatar's "We Belong" for the soundtrack of "Mare of Easttown." The Cady role isn't an easy one to pull off, but I can't wait to hear Rice's take on "It Roars."
Reneé Rapp of "The Sex Lives of College Girls" will be reprising the role of Regina George, which she played on Broadway. If you've yet to hear her rendition of "World Burn," get ready to have a new favorite villain song. "Moana" and "Crush" star Auli'i Cravalho has been cast as Janis I'mi'ike, and I've already got goosebumps just picturing Cravalho belting her face off during "I'd Rather Be Me." Rounding out the cast is Jaquel Spivey of "A Strange Loop," who has been cast as Damian. Look, stop whatever it is you're doing and listen to Spivey sing "Today" and thank me later.
Original "Mean Girls" screenwriter Tina Fey is returning to adapt the stage script, which should be easy considering she wrote the book for the Broadway show as well. She's producing alongside Lorne Michaels and Eric Gurian, with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. The film is being directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., with Erin David, Caroline Maroney, and Micah Frank overseeing for Broadway Video.