The Mean Girls reboot is one of the various adaptions spawned from the 2004 original film of the same name. Mean Girls (2004) was written by Tina Fey who also starred in the American teen comedy film headlined by Lindsay Lohan. The film also boasts a star-packed cast, including Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried in her film debut. The film’s concept is based on Rosalind Wiseman’s book Queen Bees and Wannabes and Fey’s personal experience at Upper Darby High School. The 2004 film was a critical and commercial success which inspired a lot of awards, especially for Lohan’s performance. It also spawned a made-for-TV sequel Mean Girls 2, a Broadway musical and the highly-anticipated Mean Girls reboot.
Based on the Broadway musical that was inspired by the original 2004 film, Mean Girls reboot is not a direct remake. The film is a new interpretation of the original storyline with familiar touches that resonate with fans of the original film. Paramount Pictures announced in January 2020 that development of the reboot has commenced while casting began in December 2022. Between March and April 2023, Principal photography was rounded up in Middletown Township, New Jersey, with high anticipation for an early 2024 release.
What Is the Plot for the Mean Girls Reboot?
The Mean Girls reboot is a musical featuring several songs from the original Broadway show. However, the plot still revolves around sixteen-year-old Cady Heron who has been homeschooled most of her life. When Cady and her mom move back to the United States after spending years in Kenya, she struggles to fit into her new academic and social life at North Shore High School. Her new friends Janis ‘Imi’ike and Damian Hubbard enlighten her about the cliques on campus, some of whom she must avoid, especially the “Plastics” comprising of Gretchen Wieners, Karen Shetty, and the reigning ‘queen bee’ Regina George. Cady becomes so entangled with the “Plastics” that she almost turns into one and loses her friends. However, she redeems herself in the end.
Being an adaption of a Broadway show, changes were made to translate the musical to the screen. The runtime was shortened from the play’s two-hour length to five minutes under two hours. This was achieved by shortening the length of some tracks. 14 songs, including Where Do You Belong?, Fearless, and Whose House Is This? were dropped to make the film version better. One new song titled What Ifs was introduced to the film reboot.
Who Stars In The New Mean Girls Film?
Mean Girls reboot boasts a young and talented cast like the original piece. Angourie Rice, Auliʻi Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey were the first to be announced in December 2022 to play Cady, Janis, and Damian respectively. Reneé Rapp reprises her role in the Broadway musical as Regina George, the wealthy leader of the “Plastics.” Christopher Briney joined the cast in February 2023 as Aaron alongside Bebe Wood as Gretchen and Avantika Vandanapu as Karen. Meanwhile, Fey and Tim Meadows returned to play their roles in the original film as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall respectively. Fey is also writing the screenplay.
Other notable Mean Girls reboot cast members include Jenna Fischer as Cady’s mom Ms. Heron, Busy Philipps as Regina’s mom Mrs. George, and Jon Hamm plays Coach Carr. Interestingly, Lindsay Lohan who played Cady in the original film made a cameo in the reboot as the moderator of the mathematics competition. Additionally, Megan Thee Stallion briefly appeared as herself in the film. Except for Briney’s Aaron Samuels, all the main characters sing. Briney initially rejected the role because of the musical element but later joined the cast when the songs his character would have performed were cut off.
The Mean Girls Reboot Is Now In Theaters
The long-awaited Mean Girls reboot was theatrically released in the United States on January 12, 2024, by Paramount Pictures after the world premiere in New York on January 8, 2024. The film later premiered in the United Kingdom on January 17. Before the theatrical release, Mean Girls (2024) was originally set to stream on Paramount+. However, positive test scores in September 2023 switched the plan to a theatrical release.
After just a couple of weeks in theaters, the Mean Girls reboot is reigning supreme. The film might be far from matching the original film’s $130.1 million worldwide box office earnings but it shows great prospects. 2024’s Mean Girls has already exceeded its $36 million budget, bagging $48.3 million in box office earnings in its second week. More so, the film is topping the box office chart against strong competition like The Beekeeper and The Book of Clarence.
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