Nearly 20 years ago, the public was introduced to Mean Girls, a teen fish-out-of-water story that hilariously tackled the perils of high school. The Tina Fey-penned flick became widely popular and spawned a musical stage play of the same name. Now, that show is being adapted into a new movie, and the first trailer has arrived! The footage is fun and shows off some of the incredibly catchy tunes. However, what has me smiling the most is the return of Fey, who reprised her role from the original film. Yes, this is totally fetch (which is a word Fey invented).
There’s been a lot of anticipation for this new film, as many have been eager to see how the seminal 2004 teen comedy would be reimagined. If this first trailer is anything to go by, it looks like this will be a fun romp that modernizes the coming-of-age tale we know. And while the original cast – led by Lindsay Lohan – will surely be missed, there’s a fresh crop of stars here that are capable of carrying the torch. Tina Fey, who wrote the script this time around as well, is a comforting presence here, as she returns to the role of Ms. Norbury. Her presence, both in front of and behind the camera, provides a nice source of creative continuity that could be invaluable for this production.
What we know about Mean Girls is that it still centers on 16-year-old Cady Heron.gets a serious culture shock when she attends public school after having been homeschooled in Africa for years. While she eventually makes friends with the rebellious Janis and the flamboyant Damian, Heron eventually finds herself befriended by a popular clique known as “The Plastics” And their leader is the ultra powerful (and victimizing) Regina George. Ultimately, all sorts of hijinks ensue as Cady gets further entangled with the group.
One of the most exciting prospects of this project is the lineup of up-and-coming stars that’s been assembled. The cast of Mean Girls features talent like Angourie Rice (Cady Heron), Reneé Rapp (Regina George), Auliʻi Cravalho -- of Disney Princess fame -- (Janis ‘Imi’ike) and BeBe Wood (Gretchen Wieners). Aside from Tina Fey, the veteran actors among the ensemble are Jenna Fischer (Ms. Heron), Jon Hamm (Coach Carr), Busy Philipps (Mrs. George) and Tim Meadows (who reprises his role as Principal DuVall). This is a solid mix of talent, and I’m curious to see how they all mesh together.
Lindsay Lohan Shares How She Lived Mean Girls In Real Life After Rising To Fame As A Teen
Of course, aside from my joy of seeing the Haunting in Venice actress return as Norbury, we also have to discuss the music. The play included a number of notable numbers, from “It Roars” to “I’d Rather Be Me.” Pulling off a great musical can be tricky as there are a lot of logistics to staging major sequences. Co-directors Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne had a major task in front of them with this one but, as much as we can tell from the trailer, they did a solid job.
Some may still be a bit skeptical of this new take on the story, especially since the OG flick is so revered. It’s cultural footprint is still obvious today (and I’m not just referring to this new movie in that regard). Lindsay Lohan and some of the cast snapped back into their roles for a pitch-perfect Walmart commercial. This movie has a large mountain to climb when it comes to satisfying audiences but, with good music, great laughs and the return of the delightful Tina Fey, it has a chance to make its own mark. Let’s hope that’s the case and this doesn’t end up as an entry in the Burn Book.
Mean Girls opens in theaters on January 12 as part of the 2024 movie schedule, and those who’d like to watch the original now can stream it using a Paramount+ subscription.
