If you are a fan of the 2004 cult classic comedy film Mean Girls, or the Broadway musical that was based on it, you might be wondering what’s next for the iconic story of Cady Heron and her adventures in high school. Well, we have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that there is a new Mean Girls movie in the works, and it will be released in theaters on January 12, 2024. The bad news is that it will not be a sequel to the original film or the musical, but rather a reimagining of them. Here’s everything we know so far about this Mean Girls movie.
The Plot
The plot of the new Mean Girls movie is still under wraps, but we can expect it to follow the same basic premise as the previous versions: Cady Heron is a new girl in school who gets involved with a clique of popular girls called The Plastics, led by Regina George, who are known for their ruthless schemes and gossip. However, things get complicated when Cady falls for Aaron Samuels, Regina’s ex-boyfriend and Aaron’s best friend. Cady also discovers Regina’s secret “burn book”, which contains embarrassing secrets and lies about everyone in school. Cady decides to use this information to expose Regina and her friends, but she also risks losing her own identity and reputation in the process.
The Cast
The cast of the new Mean Girls movie has not been officially announced yet, but we can make some educated guesses based on previous projects and rumors. The most likely candidates to reprise their roles from the original film are Tina Fey as Ms. Norbury, Tim Meadows as Principal Duvall, Jenna Fischer as Ms. Heron (Cady’s mother), Busy Philipps as Mrs. George (Regina’s mother), Jon Hamm as Coach Carr (the football coach), and Ashley Park as Madame Park (the dance teacher). These actors have already proven their comedic talents and chemistry with each other in previous films and shows.
However, there might also be some new faces joining the cast to bring fresh perspectives and diversity to the story. For example, Angourie Rice might play Cady Heron herself, following her successful career as an actress since appearing in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Reneé Rapp might play Regina George again, after playing her on Broadway from 2019 to 2020 before its closure due to COVID-19. Auliʻi Cravalho might play Janis Ianke “Imi”ike (also known as “The Weird Girl”), a quirky character who becomes Cady’s friend after she transfers from another school. Christopher Briney might play Aaron Samuels again, after playing him in several stage productions of Mean Girls since 2017.
The Director
The director of the new Mean Girls movie is Arturo Perez Jr., who made his feature film debut with Spenser Confidential (2020), starring Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke. He also directed several episodes of TV shows such as Black-ish (2018-2020) and The Goldbergs (2017-2020). Perez Jr. is known for his diverse background and his ability to work with different genres and tones.
Samantha Jayne might co-direct the film with Perez Jr., making it her feature film debut as well. Jayne is an actress who has appeared in several TV shows such as The Good Place (2016-2020) and Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020). She also starred in several stage productions of Mean Girls before joining Perez Jr.’s team.
The Composer
The composer of the new Mean Girls movie is Jeff Richmond, who wrote all the songs for both the original film and its Broadway musical adaptation. He also composed music for other films such as Legally Blonde (2001) and Hairspray (2007). Richmond has won several awards for his work on musicals such as Hamilton (2015) and Dear Evan Hansen (2017).
Richmond will collaborate with lyricist Nell Benjamin again to write new songs for the new Mean Girls movie. Benjamin has written lyrics for many musicals such as Wicked (2003) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
