Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie: Everything to Know About the Paramount Project, Tina Fey’s Involvement and More

“I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen,” Fey said . “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 wrote the 2004 film Mean Girls, which starred Lindsay Lohan (Cady Heron), Rachel McAdams (Regina George), Amanda Seyfried (Karen Smith) and Lacey Chabert (Gretchen Wieners). The Saturday Night Live alum, for her part, played teacher Ms. Norbury in the comedy alongside longtime friend Amy Poehler as Mrs. George.

Jonathan Bennett (Aaron Samuels), Lizzy Caplan (Janice Ian) and Daniel Franzese (Damian) were also featured in the original film, which follows new girl Cady as she navigates the jungle that is high school after being home schooled for years. While she initially clicks with the popular crowd, The Plastics, she quickly learns that some friendships aren’t made to last.

In 2018, Fey brought the hit film to Broadway with the Mean Girls musical. Now, she is taking the musical production back to the movies with an all new film — and a few familiar faces.

Reneé Rapp will be playing queen B, Regina George, in the upcoming Paramount Pictures film after previously playing the role on Broadway.

“I was on the treadmill. I was at home and I was walking and I just finished a day of the College Girls filming and my agent called me,” the Sex Lives of College Girls actress learned she got the part. “My mom rushed into the house … She was like, ‘Renee!’ ’cause she obviously knew because everybody in my family and on my team is in cahoots.”

Rapp explained that “Mean Girls was such a big part of my childhood” noting it had “a huge impact” on her and her generation. “It’s gonna be a very exciting, authentic take on what Mean Girls is and what Mean Girls means to us as kids,” she added.

Tina Fey’s Mean Girls: The Musical Is Being Turned Into a Movie

Just like the original film, the upcoming Mean Girls adaptation — to be made under Paramount Pictures — will be produced by Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels. Fey, who wrote the book for the Broadway show, will also write the script for the film, which will feature music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin.

“I’m very excited to bring Mean Girls back to the big screen,” Fey said of the film, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. “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.”

The musical largely follows the same plotline as the 2004 film of the same name, but there’s no telling how closely the second movie adaptation will stick to the original script. As much as we all love Cady Heron’s wild journey from the African Sahara to the suburbs of Illinois and the way she scrapes her way to the top of Northshore High’s social hierarchy, we’re excited to see what totally grool changes Fey makes to the script (hopefully even more hilarious pranks à la foot cream to the face).

Original star Seyfried, meanwhile, hinted that she and the other Plastics would happily come back if Fey wanted them.

“All four of us are 100 percent into it,” the Mank actress “Maybe the mothers of our characters? That’s what I was thinking, but listen, I have not even seen the script.”

While the comedian didn’t confirm or deny Seyfried’s possible cameo, she did tease the “incredible cast” while appearing on the Late Night With Seth Meyers show in February 2023. “We have an amazing cast,” Fey said. “I’m super excited about the cast.”

How Long Did the ‘Mean Girls’ Musical Run on Broadway?

The musical made its world premiere in October 2017 in Washington, D.C. The production hit Broadway in April 2018 and ran through March 2020. In January 2021, the show closed permanently but it continued to tour. Mean Girls national tour kicked off in Buffalo, New York, in September 2019. The U.S. schedule is ongoing.

Who Is Directing the ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ Movie?

Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne will be directing the upcoming project. Fey, for her part, is credited as writing the 2004 screenplay, the current screenplay, the script and the stage playbook. Nell Benjamin, meanwhile, has signed on as the lyricist.

Who is starring in the Mean Girls musical movie?

The main cast for the film was announced in December 2022; Senior Year actress Angourie Rice is set to star as Cady Heron and Sex Lives of College Girls star Renée Rapp will reprise her Broadway role as Regina George.

Rachel McAdams wouldn’t mind starring in Mean Girls the Musical — so long as Tina Fey can find a role for her.

Auli’i Cravalho, the voice actress behind 2016’s Moana, will play Janis, and Jaquel Spivey, from Broadway’s A Strange Loop, will play Damian.

Avantika and Bebe Wood are set to play Regina’s Plastics cohorts, Karen and Gretchen, while The Summer I Turned Pretty actor Christopher Briney will play Aaron Samuels.

In February 2023, Fey announced that she and Tim Meadows would step back into their movie roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall.

Additionally, The Office alumna Jenna Fischer has been cast as Cady’s mother and Busy Philipps has been cast as Mrs. George (who is not a regular mom, but a cool mom). In March 2023, Jon Hamm joined the cast as Coach Carr.

Will any of the Mean Girls movie stars appear in the movie?

In addition to Fey and Meadows reprising their respective roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall, there have been reports that the original Mean Girls cast, including Lohan, McAdams, Chabert and Seyfried, could appear in the upcoming film.

Seyfried noted that she and her former costars are “100% into” making a cameo. “It’s been a long legacy for Mean Girls, and I think we all kinda just need to hang,” she told the publication.

Will any of the Mean Girls musical stars appear in the movie?

Rapp, who took over the role of Regina George from Taylor Louderman in the original Broadway production, is set to reprise her role as the head of the Plastics in the upcoming film. Emily in Paris star Ashley Park, who originated the role of Gretchen Wieners in the original Broadway show, is set to make a cameo.

How will the Mean Girls musical movie be different from the original?

The upcoming adaptation is a “cool and very special” version of the well-known story.

“This is a very specific version of the musical that has a really specific place in a niche, culty theater way, that I think expands it to maybe people who aren’t super into theater,” Rapp teased.