‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie: Everything to Know About the Paramount Project, Tina Fey’s Involvement and More

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‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie: Everything to Know About the Paramount Project, Tina Fey’s Involvement and More

She’s a pusher! The Mean Girls the Musical movie is officially a go — and creator Tina Fey is ready to bring even more pink to the big screen. "I'm very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen," Fey said in a statement to Playbill in January 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." Fey wrote the 2004 film Mean Girls, which starred Lindsay Lohan (Cady Heron), Rachel McAdams (Regina George), Amanda Seyfried (Karen Smith) and Lacey Chabert (Gretchen Wieners). The Saturday Night Live alum, for her part, played teacher Ms. Norbury in the comedy alongside longtime friend Amy Poehler as Mrs. George. Jonathan Bennett (Aaron Samuels), Lizzy Caplan (Janice Ian) and Daniel Franzese (Damian) were also featured in the original film, which follows new girl Cady as she navigates the jungle that is high school after being home schooled for years. While she initially clicks with the popular crowd, The Plastics, she quickly learns that some friendships aren’t made to last. In 2018, Fey brought the hit film to Broadway with the Mean Girls musical. Now, she is taking the musical production back to the movies with an all new film — and a few familiar faces. Reneé Rapp will be playing queen B, Regina George, in the upcoming Paramount Pictures film after previously playing the role on Broadway. [jwplayer dooqprOZ-zhNYySv2] "I was on the treadmill. I was at home and I was walking and I just finished a day of the College Girls filming and my agent called me,” the Sex Lives of College Girls actress told Entertainment Tonight in December 2022 of how she learned she got the part. "My mom rushed into the house ...  She was like, 'Renee!' 'cause she obviously knew because everybody in my family and on my team is in cahoots.” Rapp explained that “Mean Girls was such a big part of my childhood” noting it had “a huge impact” on her and her generation. "It's gonna be a very exciting, authentic take on what Mean Girls is and what Mean Girls means to us as kids,” she added. Original star Seyfried, meanwhile, hinted that she and the other Plastics would happily come back if Fey wanted them. "All four of us are 100 percent into it," the Mank actress told ET in February 2023. "Maybe the mothers of our characters? That's what I was thinking, but listen, I have not even seen the script." While the comedian didn’t confirm or deny Seyfried’s possible cameo, she did tease the “incredible cast” while appearing on the Late Night With Seth Meyers show in February 2023. "We have an amazing cast,” Fey said. “I'm super excited about the cast.” Scroll down for everything to know about Mean Girls the Musical movie:

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What Is the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie About?

The film is based on the Tony-nominated Broadway musical which ran from 2018 to 2021 and had 883 performances. The musical, for its part, was originally adapted from the 2004 movie by Fey.

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Which Original ‘Mean Girls’ Movie Stars Are Coming Back?

Fey confirmed in February 2023 that she and Tim Meadows, who played principal Mr. Duvall in the 2004 film, would be back for the musical movie.

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Are Any of the Former ‘Mean Girls' Musical Actors in the Film?

Rapp will return as Regina George after previously taking over the role on Broadway. Ashley Park, who played Gretchen Wieners in the original musical, joined the cast in March 2023. Her role wasn’t initially revealed.

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Who Else Is in the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

Angourie Rice will play Cady Heron, Auli’i Cravalho is set as Janis Ian and Jaquel Spivey will portray Damian Hubbard. Senior Year’s Avantika Vandanapu will play Karen Smith, the Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney will portray Aaron Samuels and Love, Victor actress Bebe Wood is set as Gretchen Wieners. Busy Philipps was announced in March 2023 as Regina’s mom, Mrs. George, while Jenna Fisher will portray Cady’s mom, Mrs. Heron. That same month, Deadline confirmed the addition of Mahi Alam as Kevin Gnapoor and Connor Ratliff as a teacher named Mr. Rapp.  

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What Does Amanda Seyfried Think About the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

Seyfried, who played Karen Smith in the first film, told Entertainment Tonight in February 2023 that she and her former costars are “100 percent into” making a cameo in the new movie. “It’s been a long legacy for Mean Girls and I think we all kinda need to hang,” she said of her former castmates, noting she’s “still hoping for a miracle” when it comes to Fey bringing her back in some capacity.

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Who Is Directing the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne will be directing the upcoming project. Fey, for her part, is credited as writing the 2004 screenplay, the current screenplay, the script and the stage playbook. Nell Benjamin, meanwhile, has signed on as the lyricist.

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How Long Did the ‘Mean Girls' Musical Run on Broadway?

The musical made its world premiere in October 2017 in Washington, D.C. The production hit Broadway in April 2018 and ran through March 2020. In January 2021, the show closed permanently but it continued to tour. Mean Girls national tour kicked off in Buffalo, New York, in September 2019. The U.S. schedule is ongoing.

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When Did Filming for the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie Begin?

The cast began production on March 6, 2023.

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Where Can You Watch the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

The film will seemingly be available on Paramount+ and in theaters as it's being created by Paramount Pictures.

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When Will ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie Premiere?

No release date has been announced.

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Who Is Jon Hamm Playing in ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

Hamm joined the cast in March 2023 as Coach Carr, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the original film, Carr famously taught his gym class students about sex — and how not to get “chlamydia and die.”

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What’s Rachel McAdams’ Advice for the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie Cast?

McAdams told Entertainment Tonight in March 2023 that she didn’t think the new Regina George, played by Rapp, “can do any wrong” with the role. “She is amazing,” the Notebook actress said of Rapp.

"She's already got me beat with that voice. So, I'm just excited to see her incarnation,” McAdams added. “It's such a great character. It's so much fun to play, so, I hope she has a great time with it. And I can't wait to see it."

When it comes to whether the OG Regina would make a cameo in the new film, McAdams teased she would “never” say no to Fey “ever.” She gushed over the movie’s creator, saying, “She’s the greatest. So, we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

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Will 'Mean Girls the Musical' Movie Include the Full Broadway Soundtrack?

Rapp exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2023 that there will be some changes to both the script and track list. "A lot of it is different. Tina [Fey] is such a creative genius and such a creative freak, and her partner, Jeff Richmond, who does all of the music, is as well. So there's definitely different things," Rapp hinted. "There might be different songs. Some songs that are in the musical version might be in the movie or might not be."