In 2020, Tina Fey confirmed that Mean Girls the Musical movie was officially happening. "I'm very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen," said the comedian, who's producing the movie with Saturday Night Live's showrunner, Lorne Michaels.
She continued: "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."
Production just started in March 2023, and fans can't wait to know which previous cast members are returning. Here's everything we know about the movie, as well as what the original Mean Girls think about it.
Everything We Know About The Mean Girls The Musical Movie
Mean Girls had its first musical back in 2017. It made its world premiere in October of that year in Washington, D.C. It hit Broadway later in April 2018, running until March 2020. The show closed permanently in January 2021, but the tour is still ongoing. The Mean Girls national tour debuted in Buffalo, New York, in September 2019.
The movie is based on the Tony-nominated musical, whose two previous stars are joining the new cast. Reneé Rapp is reprising her role as Regina George while Ashley Park, who previously took over the role of Gretchen Wieners, just joined the film cast in March 2023 (Her role wasn't initially revealed).
They'll be accompanied by new faces like Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Avantika Vandanapu as Karen Smith, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis Ian, Jaquel Spivey as Damian Hubbard, and Christopher Briney as Aaron Samuels.
Busy Philipps just joined the movie in March as well. She's set to portray Regina's mom, Mrs. George while Jenna Fisher will be playing Cady's mom, Mrs. Heron. That same month, they also confirmed the addition of Mahi Alam as Kevin Gnapoor and Connor Ratliff as a teacher named Mr. Rapp.
As of this writing, the film — directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne, alongside lyricist, Nell Benjamin — doesn't have a release date yet. Since it's created by Paramount Pictures, it will likely be available on Paramount+ and in theaters.
Which Original Mean Girls Are Returning For Mean Girls The Musical Movie?
In February 2023, Fey said that she and Tim Meadows, who played principal Mr. Duvall in the 2004 flick, would be coming back for the musical movie. But so far, there's no word on the main cast's return. That same month Amanda Seyfriend who starred as Karen Smith in the first film, told Entertainment Tonight that she and the girls were "100 percent into" making a cameo.
"It's been a long legacy for Mean Girls and I think we all kinda need to hang," she stated, adding that she's "still hoping for a miracle" when it comes to Fey squeezing them into the project. Unfortunately, Paramount reportedly gave them a "disrespectful" offer which caused them to turn down the chance to reunite.
"Paramount Pictures doesn't want to pay the girls what they are worth," a production insider told Page Six in February 2023. "All four girls were willing to come back, but Paramount has not been respectful of what they are worth." They noted that "as of now, the negotiations are stalled."
Fey reportedly signed a seven-figure deal for her part in the musical film while Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert, and Rachel McAdams were just offered a "fraction" of that.
What Does The Original Mean Girls Think About Mean Girls The Musical Movie?
In March 2023, McAdams told ET that she didn't think Rapp "can do any wrong" with her iconic role. "She is amazing," the Doctor Strange actress said of Rapp. "She's already got me beat with that voice. So, I'm just excited to see her incarnation."
She's also excited to see how the new Regina George brings the character back to life. "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," McAdams raved.
When asked if she'd make an appearance in the reboot, she said she would "never" say no to Fey, "ever." She even praised the writer, saying: "She's the greatest. So, we'll see how it all shakes out."
Unfortunately, Lohan previously expressed no interest in doing the musical. "I heard something about it being a movie musical and I was like, 'Oh no.' We can't do that. It has to be the same tone," she said in November 2022, with Seyfriend agreeing: "Yeah. It would just be completely different."
But seeing how Seyfried eventually changed her mind, fans are still hoping to get a surprise cameo from the four girls. One tweeted: "Ok so a mean girls musical movie is happening and everyone wants the original cast to play and sing in this movie and tbh, even tho they are a bit older now, this would actually be the funniest ever LMAO."
