Everything To Know About The Mean Girls: The Musical Movie

As soon as Mean Girls was released in 2004, the coming-of-age film became an instant sensation and has remained a pop culture landmark ever since, leading writer Tina Fey and producer Lorne Michaels to debut a musical inspired by the film in 2017. Now, things are coming full circle as the duo is now creating a film adaptation of the hit Broadway show.

“I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen,” Fey said in a statement when the film was announced 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 will take on writing duties once again, while her husband Jeff Richmond, who composed the music for the Broadway production, will also return for the film, which is being co-directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.

Mean Girls opened on Broadway in April 2018, six months after a trial run in Washington, D.C., and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. While Mean Girls made young actors Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried even bigger stars, the musical film adaptation will bring in a new generation of triple-threat stars to fill the iconic shoes of Cady, Regina, and every memorable North Shore student. However, as McAdams told Bustle, the possibility of the OG Plastics making a return isn’t out of the question.

As for the adults, some of your favorite teachers are set to return, but many A-list stars are filling some of their shoes, with an Office star stepping in as Cady’s mom and a Mad Men star playing the school’s most problematic teacher. Here’s everything to know about Mean Girls: The Musical.

Mean Girls: The Musical Cast

On Feb. 17, Fey announced that she would return to North Shore High for Mean Girls: The Musical, reprising her role as “pushover” teacher Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows would return as everyone’s favorite principal, Mr. Duvall. During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she jokingly said that, unlike the students, they’re not too old to play their characters again. “We couldn’t age out — teachers work forever,” she said. “I want it to be like when Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island was at a trade show and you’re like, ‘Oh he looks so old in his little hat.’ That’s my goal.”

However, not every North Shore faculty member will be a familiar face, and the same goes for the students’ parents. On Feb. 28, Deadline reported that The Office star Jenna Fischer has been cast to play Cady Heron’s mom, a role originally played by Ana Gasteyer. The next day, it was announced that Busy Phillips would play Regina’s iconic “cool mom” June, who was famously portrayed by Amy Poehler in the 2004 film. On March 24, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jon Hamm would play Coach Carr, the creepy and sweaty gym teacher who can’t teach sex education to save his life, while Search Party actor Connor Ratliff will play Mr. Rapp, another North Shore teacher.

Emily In Paris star Ashley Park, who originated the role of Gretchen on Broadway, will also appear in the movie, according to a March 3 report. However, she won’t be reprising her Tony-nominated role, and details about her cameo are being kept under wraps.

On May 15, Jonathan Bennett, who played the lovable hunk Aaron Samuels, teased to PEOPLE that he might be returning for the musical as well, but kept mum on specific details. “There’s some talks going on about certain things,” he said when asked if he had any knowledge about the film. “Let’s just say that.” If he does appear, it’s not known what role he would play, considering his original character has already been cast.

In December, the first Mean Girls: The Musical cast members were announced. The Sex Lives of College Girls Reneé Rapp will reprise her role of Regina George in the film after playing the character on Broadway. Spider-Man star Angourie Rice will star as Cady Heron, Moana star Auli’i Cravalho is set to portray Janis Ian, and Broadway’s A Strange Loop star Jaquel Spivey will play Damien Leigh. In February, it was announced that The Summer I Turned Pretty actor Christopher Briney will appear as Aaron Samuels, Love, Victor star Bebe Wood is set to play Gretchen Wieners, and Senior Year actor Avantika Vandanap will play Karen Smith. On March 22, it was announced that newcomer Mahi Alam would portray Mathlete rapper Kevin Gnapoor, who was played by Rajiv Surendra in the original film.

The only major role that has yet to be announced is Cady’s father, who was played by Neil Flynn.

Will The OG Plastics Return For The Musical?

In November 2022, Lohan and Seyfried talked about Mean Girls: The Musical in a feature for Interview and made it seem that they had no interest in getting involved. “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,” Lohan told Seyfried, to which she responded, “Yeah, it would just be completely different.”

However, their tone seems to have changed. On Feb. 22, Page Six reported that Lohan, McAdams, Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert were all in talks to appear in Mean Girls: The Musical, but were disputing with the studio over reportedly “disrespectful” salary offers. “Paramount Pictures doesn’t want to pay the girls what they are worth,” a “highly placed production source” told the outlet. “All four girls were willing to come back, but Paramount has not been respectful of what they are worth.” The outlet added that McAdams was offered a larger role than the other three woman, but negotiations have “stalled” for that deal as well.

In a Bustle cover story published on April 18, McAdams told Bustle that she’d be up for appearing in the musical if Fey could write parts for herself and her fellow Plastics, though she wasn’t sure how they would fit in. “I don’t see a way to shoehorn us in,” she says. “If Tina [Fey] can figure it out, I’m there, for sure.”

Seyfried confirmed that all four actors were interested in starring in the musical while on the red carpet of the 2023 SAG Awards on Feb. 26, but hinted that their returns hinged on other factors. “I’m still hoping for a miracle, but it’s not really up to us, is it?” she told Entertainment Tonight. “All four of us are 100% into it.” She even has an idea of who they could play in the musical. “Well, because Renee is playing Regina, Rachel wouldn’t play Regina, she’d play somebody else. Maybe the mothers of our characters?” she speculated. “That’s what I was thinking, but listen, I haven’t seen a script.”

Mean Girls: The Musical Potential Release Date

As confirmed by Fey on Late Night, production on the film is scheduled to begin on March 6. The Film & Television Industry Alliance also confirmed that Mean Girls: The Musical would shoot in New Jersey from March 6 to April 19, though that doesn’t account any footage that could be filmed elsewhere. Paramount has yet to announce an exact release date, but given the tight production schedule, it’s possible that fans will be able to watch before the end of 2023 or in early 2024.

Mean Girls: The Musical Trailer

Given how the film has yet to begin production, the trailer for Mean Girls: The Musical is a long ways off.

This post will be updated as more details about Mean Girls: The Musical are announced.