In 2004, “Mean Girls” became a cult classic, starring Linsday Lohan and Rachel McAdams. Now, twenty years later, Tina Fey is releasing an updated version by merging the original movie and Broadway musical together.
The original film was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2017, and the 2024 version of the movie will feature twelve numbers from the Broadway hit, as well as new songs from the original composers (Nell Benjamin and Jeff Richmond) and Reneé Rapp. Rapp plays queen bee Regina George in the upcoming film, and her previous experience portraying the character on stage (2019-2020) adds to some of the excitement around the release.
“I was very excited that someone who had been on Broadway was going to be taking the role and also that someone so involved in our current pop culture who was not the [stereotypical girl that is shown in the media] would be [playing Regina],” Chloe Branning, senior, said.
In the film, main character Cady Heron steps into a brand-new jungle, that being public high school. As the stereotypical “new kid,” she ends up befriending the resident rejects, Janice and Damian, who introduce her to many cliques, the most exclusive being the Plastics: Regina, Gretchen, and Karen. The misfit trio devise a plan for Cady to infiltrate the Plastics and take down Regina, ending her reign of terror on the school. The movie is full of iconic moments that are clearly still relevant today, and fans are buzzing about the new interpretation.
“I think that the new movie will be closer to the Broadway show than the original movie. It will still have a lot of those classic moments that people love about the original movie,” Lana Ledford, senior, said.
Much of the hype surrounding the release is the 20th anniversary of “Mean Girls” (2004). Another layer of enthusiasm comes from the star-studded cast, which includes Jenna Fischer, who is best known for her role as Pam in “The Office,” Chris Briney, who was Conrad Fisher in the hit book-turned-show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Angourie Rice, who has been in multiple Spiderman movies, and finally, Fey herself returning to her classic role as Ms. Norbury.
“I think it was great that they included stars like Rapp and Briney; they definitely made me excited for the movie! Especially since Rapp played Regina on Broadway,” Anna Knight, junior, said.
As one of the most anticipated releases of the new year, the remake of the cult classic is sure to be a box office hit. “Mean Girls” (2024) comes out January 12, so grab your friends, break out your best pink outfits, and get in losers; we are going to the movies.
