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The Mean Girls movie musical is officially in the works—how fetch is that? This classic got its start in 2004 as the teen flick that soon became a cultural phenomenon, was then transformed into a Tony-nominated Broadway musical in 2018 and is now heading back to the screen as a movie musical. We couldn't be more excited to see what this production has in store! Whether you've seen the film too many times to count (but, let's be the real, ~the limit does not exist~), always have the Original Broadway Cast Recording on repeat (because "World Burn" is just too good to stop listening to) or are a total newbie to all things Mean Girls, we have you covered with everything we know (so far) about the upcoming movie musical.

The plot

The movie will take inspo from both the OG Mean Girls film and the hit Broadway musical, so we can assume that it will follow some similar storylines too. For those who haven't seen it (or just need a refresher), Mean Girls introduces us to 16-year-old Cady Heron, who's been homeschooled all her life and has just moved back to suburban Illinois after spending years in Kenya with her researcher parents. Soon, Cady starts hanging out with the most popular girls in school—AKA the Plastics—and, along with her friends Janis and Damian, secretly hatches a plan to sabotage the group. Does Cady lose sight of who she is in order to fit in, or does she stay true to herself despite the drama? You'll have to watch to find out. 

The cast 

@broadway.4me

This is a srsly star-studded cast, and we're beyond psyched to watch them all shine. Plus, you just might spot some familiar faces on your screen! In December 2022, it was announced that Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Senior Year) will be taking on the role of new girl Cady, while Auli'i Cravalho (Moana, The Little Mermaid Live!, Crush) and Jaquel Spivey (Broadway's A Strange Loop) were cast as Janis and Damian, respectively. It was also revealed that Reneé Rapp, who played queen bee Regina George in the Mean Girls Broadway musical, will be reprising her role in the film.

In February 2023, more casting announcements were made. Avantika Vandanapu (Senior Year, Diary of a Future President) is set to play the friendly, free-spirited Karen Smith, while Love, Victor's Bebe Wood completes the Plastics as Regina's second-in-command, Gretchen Weiners. Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty) will star as Cady's dreamy math-class crush, Aaron Samuels, but Reneé Rapp isn't the only one stepping back into her character's (designer, duh) shoes again—it was recently announced that Tina Fey and Tim Meadows will also reprise their roles from the original film, as teacher Ms. Norbury and principal Mr. Duvall. Talk about an iconic cast!

The music

It sounds like the Original Broadway Cast Recording is about to get a *huge* makeover! In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the musical's composer, Jeff Richmond, dished some deets on what viewers can expect when it comes to the film's music.

"What we're trying to do [with the movie] is take the score that sounds like a Broadway score—in a good way—and [give] the movie a fresher palette. To make it sound more like stuff you want to listen to on Spotify," he said. "We're kind of reinventing the music for the movie, so it's really fun." Get ready to make some updates to your fave playlist.

The release

As Mean Girls: The Musical officially begins production, everyone's excited to know when it will be released. (Spoiler alert: Nope, it's probably not on October 3rd.) The Film & Television Industry Alliance confirmed that the film would shoot in New Jersey from March 6 to April 19, meaning audiences probably (and unfortunately) still have a while to wait. And as for where to watch the movie when it comes out, it will likely be available to stream on Paramount+, since it's set to be produced by Paramount Pictures. Ofc, we don't know for sure—unlike Karen, we don't have ESPN or something, so we'll just be waiting here for more news.

Want to add to your watchlist? We've got all the articles you need:

🍿 Here's why Abbott Elementary should be your next binge watch
🍿 Everything we know about The Princess Diaries 3 so far
🍿 Everything you need to know about the cast of Wednesday

Will you be tuning in to the musical? 
Tell us your thoughts on Twitter @girlslifemag!

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by Samara Smukler | 4/8/2023