Get in loser, we’re going to watch the new Mean Girls trailer!
Mean Girls is one of my favorite movies. It’s kind of hard to believe that it came out almost 20 years ago, in 2004. I can quote that movie all day long. It’s in my Top 5 list of female “coming-of-age in high school” movies, right behind Now and Then and ahead of Clueless. I’ve always been a big Tina Fey fan and despite her multitude of problems, I’ve always lowkey rooted for Lindsay Lohan. I think it’s because we’re both from Long Island. Anyway, in a world where sequels and franchise reboots rule, a musical version of Mean Girls debuted in 2017 and ran on Broadway until 2021. Last year, it was announced that Mean Girls: The Musical was being adapted into a feature film, and yesterday the first trailer dropped. It’s so fetch!
The film, based on the 2018 Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 film, stars Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis ‘Imi’ike, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Jaquel Spivey as Damian Hubbard, Avantika as Karen Shetty, Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Christopher Briney as Aaron Samuels, Jenna Fischer as Ms. Heron, Busy Philipps as Mrs. George, Ashley Park as Madame Park, Tina Fey as Ms. Norbury, Tim Meadows as Mr. Duvall.
The trailer does a nice job of establishing the cliques of cool kids, outsiders and, of course, the mean girls. What it doesn’t really showcase, for some reason, are the musical numbers, so maybe that’ll come in the next trailer.
Fey wrote both the 2004 movie and the stage musical, returning now as screenwriter and producer for the movie musical. Lorne Michaels is also producing, with Arturo Perez and Samantha Jayne directing. The music is by Jeff Richmond with lyrics from Nell Benjamin.
I wasn’t expecting to be that excited about this movie, but I am now! What’s in the trailer looks like it’s a shot-for-shot remake of the original. I suppose that makes sense since it’s based on the musical, and the blocking for that probably matches the movie as closely as a stage production can get. I love that Tina Fey and Tim Meadows are playing the same characters that they did in the original movie and think that Busy Philipps is the PERFECT replacement for Amy Poehler as Regina’s cool mom. While I admit that I’m not super familiar with the rest of the cast, I really like Reneé Rapp from The Sex Lives of College Girls. I do think it’s weird that for a movie that’s based on a musical that’s based on a movie, there’s no songs featured in the trailer! That is a choice that I have no explanation for. Let the people hear the songs! You already had us at ‘Mean Girls.’
Mean Girls is out in theaters on January 12, 2024. While I am 100% going to see it, I do have two issues with this. The first one is that it didn’t get released on October 3rd and the second one is that January 12 is not a Wednesday. Wear your pink anyway and pay attention to your breasts just in case it’s already raining.
Is it weird that I’ve never seen Mean Girls?
Neither have I.
Yes lol. It could be a good thing you’ve never seen the original before you see the new one. Let us know please.
Not weird, I think it depends on your age. My guess is you’re over 40.
I am! Closer to 50. But so many of my friends and colleague have seen it and I’m always like … ummm ok sure
Christopher Briney was in The Summer I turned Pretty. Busy and Ashley look like they’ll be hilarious in this.
I feel so dumb—I didn’t catch that this was a musical. The trailer I saw yesterday didn’t say “musical” anywhere so I was left just wondering why there was a scene for scene remake of an iconic movie that I first saw in the theaters in college! It felt too soon for a remake. This makes so much more sense. 🤦🏻♀️
Don’t feel dumb. I read that they are deliberately hiding that it is musical since musicals are very bad track record in box office.
yeah I was like what is the point of this? and then I realized it was the musical.
Oh my god, this is actually going to be the spring musical at my daughter’s high school. She has decided to audition for the role of Karen. It’s a Mean Girls kind of year here I guess!
@ Sass, wishing your daughter good luck. Let us know if she gets the part!
@Lucky Charm thank you! She’s a freshman so I’m guessing she’s likely gonna get into the chorus and not a speaking role, but I’m proud of her for trying something new. She’s a musician and does stand up, but doesn’t have a singing background, but I think the experience will be good for her whether she is cast or not. I did musical theatre and am a singer so I wish she would do more singing but I also know she has to do her own thing!
I didn’t love how they characterized the Asian kids in the first one plus two of them were having an affair with the gym teacher which was just gross and wrong. Tina Fey has received criticism for this and I’m sure this time it will be written differently.
I saw the musical just last week (it’s on tour). There are some great songs, especially “I Am Regina George.” The choreography makes really clever use of props. Hopefully some of those features will be used.
Fey’s husband wrote the music for the musical, by the way!
I also remember reading a lot of press around the musical itself, and there was a feeling that the Covid pandemic meant that the musical never really had a fair shot. So maybe they’re trying to recoup their losses by releasing it as a movie.
So interesting – I saw the musical this spring on tour and figured they didn’t show the songs because they weren’t very good (imho). I do know that Renee Rapp has a lovely voice as does Auli’i Cravalho and I hope we get to see a good amount of Ashley Park, who was so charming in Joy Ride.
Why do we need “mean girls” I think we have all figured out they grow up to be “Moms of Liberty”. I never liked these types of shows.
I just went from 0% interest to 100% interest. I was LOLing to so much of this (Jon Hamm all old gym teacher whose glory days are 35 years behind him just tryin to get through the required health class curriculum – “lifting through her glutes” BAHAHAHAHAHA). The cast looks so good. I could use some HAHA these days.
I really enjoyed the original movie and also loved Rene Rapp in SLoCG. I’ve also seen a clip of her singing her theme song from the Mean Girl musical (she played Regina on Broadway) and she’s crazy talented. I will try to see this in the theater to support musicals! Also just because I want to.
I’m a die hard fan of the original, so I was hesitant. But I am here for Renee Rapp. Sex Lives of College Girls is HILARIOUS. I think she is going to own this role of Regina George.
100% missed out on Weds release or October 3. That was just silly of them not to capitalize on that.
Sex Lives of College Girls is one of the funniest shows on TV, IMO!
Agree saw some of her stuff on YouTube she has an album coming out and was the original Regina on Broadway, she’s gonna break out just like Rachel in the original. Regina always wins.
The Walmart commercials reuniting the original cast are lowkey better than this trailer
I just saw Renee Rapp perform live, her music is so good
I am a little confused about why we need a movie of a musical based on a movie, but if Tina Fey is on board, then I guess I am, too. I like the original and will be interested to see what a new cast does with some pretty strong material!
Side note, my parents are musical theater lovers (I am not, “Hamilton” notwithstanding) and saw “Mean Girls” on Broadway. My mom bought me an “I’m a Cool Mom” apron and I wear it all the time. 😂
I love Renee Rapp but you can tell this is going to be horrible. It is a musical and we didn’t hear one of the songs.
I mean, what was in the trailer looked funny, but I want to hear the songs! The trailer makes it look more like some kind of sequel or reboot.