We have our best look yet at “Mean Girls,” the new movie adaptation of the musical based on the original 2004 film (say that 10 times fast). On Nov. 8, Paramount released the full trailer for the movie, plus some first-look photos of the cast. And while most of the young cast is made up of teenagers bringing Cady, Regina, Aaron, Janis, and co. to life, some people from the original movie are also reprising their roles.
During a Feb. 16 appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “Mean Girls” star Tina Fey — who also wrote the script for the Broadway musical — revealed that she’ll be reprising her role as math teacher Ms. Norbury in the onscreen adaptation. Tim Meadows, who played Principal Duval in the 2004 comedy, will also appear in his original role in the movie musical version. But could the original popular couple, Regina George and Aaron Samuels, make appearances, too? Rachel McAdams and Jonathan Bennett both weighed in on the prospect, but more on that later.
On March 24, fans got some more exciting casting news: Jon Hamm will take on the role of Coach Carr, the story’s misbehaving gym teacher, a rep for the actor confirmed to POPSUGAR after it was reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
While Fey didn’t share too much about the forthcoming “Mean Girls” adaptation during her February appearance, she did tell Meyers that the music in the film musical will sound a bit different than it did on stage. “The songs are sounding really more kinda pop,” she said. “In Broadway, everything has to play to the back of the house and in movies, everything can come back in and things can play really intimately.”
Ahead, find out everything else we know about the “Mean Girls: The Musical” movie so far and watch the trailer.
“Mean Girls: The Musical” Trailer
“Mean Girls: The Musical” Movie Cast
While Ms. Norbury and Principal Duval will look familiar, the rest of the movie’s principal cast will be played mainly by fresh faces. On Dec. 9, 2022, Paramount announced casting for the new movie, including “Moana”‘s Auli’i Cravalho and “The Sex Lives of College Girls”‘s Reneé Rapp (who appeared in the original Broadway production), per Deadline.
Cravalho will play Janis, Cady’s best friend, a role originally played by Lizzy Caplan. Meanwhile, Rapp will reprise her role as Regina George, originally played by McAdams in the film. Also, per Rolling Stone, Bebe Wood will play Gretchen Wieners, Avantika Vandanapu will play Karen Smith, and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” star Christopher Briney will play Aaron Samuels.
Angourie Rice will star as Cady, the role originated by Lindsay Lohan. Rice appeared in Paramount+’s “Honor Society” with Gaten Matarazzo in 2022 and played Betty in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Tony-nominated actor Jaquel Spivey, who stars in Broadway’s “A Strange Loop,” will play Damien, who was played by Daniel Franzese in the first movie.
On Feb. 28, Deadline announced that “The Office” star Jenna Fischer had joined the cast in the role of Cady’s mom, Mrs. Heron.
Will Rachel McAdams Be in “Mean Girls: The Musical”?
In an April 18 interview with Bustle, McAdams admitted that while she thinks an appearance from her in the movie adaptation of “Mean Girls: The Musical” wouldn’t really make sense, she’s open to the idea if the creators can make it work. “I don’t see a way to shoehorn us in,” she told the publication, adding, “If Tina can figure it out, I’m there, for sure.”
Will Jonathan Bennett Be in “Mean Girls: The Musical”?
While attending the GLAAD Media Awards on May 13, Bennett teased a potential appearance as Aaron in the musical, telling People, “There’s some talks going on about certain things. Let’s just say that.”
Will Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert Be in “Mean Girls: The Musical”?
In December 2022, Lohan and her “Mean Girls” costar Amanda Seyfried both said they’d be down for a “Mean Girls” sequel about their characters as adults, but no word yet on whether they’ll make appearances in the movie musical. Lohan and Seyfried both appear in a “Mean Girls”-themed Walmart ad this winter.
“Mean Girls: The Musical” Plot
“Mean Girls: The Musical” debuted on Broadway in 2018 and launched a national tour a year later. The music was written by Fey’s husband, Jeff Richmond, with lyrics by Nell Benjamin. It was nominated for 12 Tony Awards. The show played its last Broadway performance in March 2020, with producers deciding to close the show during the pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fey announced the movie had been put in development in January 2020. Like the original movie, the film is produced by Fey and “Saturday Night Live” head Lorne Michaels. The musical largely follows the same plot line as the 2004 film of the same name, but there’s no telling how closely the second movie adaptation will stick to the original script.
“I’m very excited to bring ‘Mean Girls’ back to the big screen,” Fey said of the film back 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.”
“Mean Girls: The Musical” Release Date
The movie was originally set to debut on Paramount+, but will now debut in theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.
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