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- ‘Mean Girls’ was an iconic teen comedy released in 2004.
- A Broadway version has proven wildly successful.
- A highly anticipated movie version of the musical is now also in the works.
- Tina Fey is set to return in her iconic role, though other stars are not returning.
The year was 2020 when Tina Fey first announced plans for a reprisal of her beloved 2004 comedy, Mean Girls. And by late 2022, there was a solid plan in place, with the Saturday Night Live legend announcing casting in December of that year. “I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen,” the 30 Rock star told Playbill of the impending project in 2020. “It’s been incredibly gratifying to see how much the movie and the musical have meant to audiences. I’ve spent 16 years with these characters now. They are my Marvel Universe, and I love them dearly.”
But since the original film took the movie world by storm with its fierce sense of humor and unapologetic sarcasm, a lot’s changed — its star, Lindsay Lohan, has become a mother, for one thing. So what’s the plan for the new version? We’ve got answers below.
Mean Girls Musical Movie Release Date
Lights. Camera. Plastics. 🎬 #MeanGirlsMusical pic.twitter.com/74TY0zGYc4
— MEAN GIRLS on Broadway (@MeanGirlsBway) March 7, 2023
According to the official Mean Girls musical Twitter account in March, the film has already begun filming in New Jersey. Though no release date has yet been announced, it’s expected to stream exclusively on Paramount + upon its release.
Mean Girls Musical Movie Cast & Crew
For starters, two of the original film’s most recognizable faces will, indeed, be back. Tina and fellow SNL alum Tim Meadows will return in the roles of teacher Ms Norbury and Principal Duvall, respectively, already having announced plans to return for the Paramount + film. In a 2021 interview with Variety, Tina mused on how she might approach casting. “The first time we had new actors play these roles [on Broadway], it was like breaking the seal, like, ‘Now these roles belong to more than one set of actors,’” she said at the time. “I’m excited to see who ends up being in the movie.”
According to PEOPLE, now we know. Renee Rapp, who played the iconic “Plastics” queen Regina George (originally Rachel McAdams) on Broadway, will revisit her unforgettably mean role for the movie musical. Angourie Rice will play lead Cady Heron, and Moana star Auli’i Cravalho takes over the role of Janis. Bebe Wood has been cast as Gretchen, played in the movie by Lacey Chabert, and Avantika is set to play dingbat Karen, previously played by Amanda Seyfried. Aaron Samuels will be played by Christopher Briney.
In an unexpected casting move, Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame will play Coach Carr. Jenna Fischer will take on a role previously played by Ana Gasteyer, Cady’s mother, while Busy Philips will take over for Amy Poehler as Regina George’s wealthy “cool mom.” Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. are expected to team up as directors. Tina’s husband Jeff Richmond notably wrote the music.
As for the original cast returning, it doesn’t appear many of them besides Tina and Tim will make appearances. Still, Amanda once said she’d be down for a cameo. “It’s been a long legacy for Mean Girls, and I think we all kinda just need to hang,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight back in Feb. 2023.
