(Updated 01/03/2024)
Tina Fey's script for the movie MEAN GIRLS may be her most enduring work. The original movie, released in 2004, is a high school comedy classic. In 2017, the movie inspired a stage musical, "Mean Girls," for which Fey wrote the book. Now that stage musical has become a musical movie, with a script also written by… Tina Fey!
While the new 2024 MEAN GIRLS musical movie was originally set to premiere on streaming, it has become a theatrical release. We love that! Now the first new MEAN GIRLS trailer is online, and we can tell you a lot about the 2024 musical version of MEAN GIRLS.
When Does Mean Girls Come Out?
Paramount will release MEAN GIRLS in movie theatres on January 12.
Watch the New Mean Girls Trailer
The first MEAN GIRLS trailer introduced the major players in the new cast, and suggested some of the ways the story has been pulled forward from the early 2000s to now.
This final MEAN GIRLS trailer really shows off the movie's style and energy, and does a lot more to reveal some of the musical numbers and choreography.
Mean Girls Is a Full-On Musical
We've seen many new movie musicals in the last few years, but more than a few are more like comedies with a few big song and dance numbers. But WONKA led the way last month as a true singing and dancing musical that even opens with Willy Wonka introducing himself in a big number.
As an adaptation of the stage show, this new MEAN GIRLS is a full-on musical. While the first trailer was slightly conventional and positioned the movie as a non-musical comedy, more recent materials showcase the song and dance aspect of the production — and the choreography featurette above goes into detail on that point.
Who's in the New Mean Girls Cast?
The cast of the original movie became icons in their roles, so the MEAN GIRLS shoes are not easy to fill. On one side of the story's power dynamic, there's Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis, and Jaquel Spivey as Janis's friend, Damian. And Christopher Briney plays Cady's crush, Aaron Samuels.
Then there are The Plastics. Reneé Rapp plays queen bee Regina George; Bebe Wood is Gretchen Wieners; and Avantika Vandanapu plays Karen.
Tina Fey reprises the role of Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows returns as Principal Duvall. Jenna Fischer plays Cady's mom; Busy Philipps is Mrs. George; and Jon Hamm plays Coach Carr, the P.E. teacher whose behavior seals his fate.
And Ashley Park, who originated the Gretchen Wieners role on stage (and got a Tony Nomination for it) seems to cameo as a teacher. Mahi Alam and Connor Ratliff have roles as well.
The Crew Behind the New Mean Girls Movie
MEAN GIRLS is directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne based on a script by, as mentioned, Tina Fey. And as with the stage musical, the music is by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond who returned to compose the film's songs and music. Also returning is stage musical lyricist Nell Benjamin.
MEAN GIRLS opens on January 12.
All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.