Get in, loser. Weāre going to the movies! The Plastics are back!
Thatās right, friends! Regina George and her trusty sidekicks Gretchen and Karen are here againāalthough, were they ever really gone? Between endless pop culture references (āThe limit does not exist!ā), the incredible success of Mean Girls the Musical on Broadway,Ā and now a movie version with Broadwayās very own ReneĆ© Rapp as Regina herself, itās not like this iconic story ever really left us, even though it debuted in theaters 19 years ago. (Yes, NINETEEN. Sorry if that number makes your hip hurt). So yes, Mean Girls is backāon the big screen and in musical form this timeābut not until January of next year. For now, weāll have to settle for all the amazing trailers that feature familiar faces, like Tina Fey as Ms. Norbury and Tim Meadows as Principal Duvall, along with lots of newbies, like Jenna Fischer and Busy Philipps! (Also, Jon Hamm has entered the chat.) So mark your calendars, dig out your brightest pink sweaters (especially if you go on a Wednesday), and get ready for Mean Girls in early 2024āitās gonna be so fetch.
So why do we all love this story so much? Probably because when Ms. Norbury asks everyone to raise their hands if theyāve ever been victimized by Regina George, we all did. We all knew a Regina (some of us still do). And today, as a mom of a 13-year-old girl, I can see whyĀ Mean GirlsĀ still has the appeal that it doesāeven for her generation. The truth is, the hierarchy of kids in school really hasnāt changed. There was a ālife-ruinerā Regina George (and a Gretchen, and a Karen, and even a Damien and Janis) when we were in school, and theyāre all still there todayātrust me, I know. Iāve heard allllll about them. So watching the āpopular girlā villain suffer the ultimate takedown and see the ānice girlā win in the end, well thatās a story that never gets oldāfor us, or for our kids.
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If youāre a die-hardĀ Mean GirlsĀ fan, rest assured that Tina Fey wrote this screenplay too (just like the first one) and she kept many of the same core pieces of the story. There are, of course, The Plastics. Thereās also the cute boy named Aaron Samuels and the āweirdo kidsā who everyone grows to loveāDamien and Janis. There’s a newĀ Cady Heron. And, yes, without a doubt, the iconic Burn Book comes into play.
But, this Mean Girls has a lot more diversityāyayāand some other new elements that make it āso 2023ā like, helloāthe trailer is set to Olivia Rodrigoās āSet Him Back.ā (Was Olivia Rodrigo even born when the first Mean Girls came out?!). Plus, the story takes place in present-day, in a world dominated by TikTok and smartphones. Add in 2023 fashion and some new dialogue that will surely lend itself to the next batch of famous Mean Girls quotes, and youāve got a modern classic to carry the Gen Z generation until . . . well, another version debuts in 18 years.
Mean Girls 2024: Thereās a mean girl and an awkward girl, a cute boy, and a Burn Book. What more could you ask for? This oneās got all the early 2000s nostalgia we love (and our kids love) with a 2024 twistāand itās a musical. So imagine a little Grease, a little High School Musical, and lots of Tina Fey humorāall wrapped up in a bright pink bow. Letās all go togetherāwhether youāre a regular mom or a cool mom. And donāt worry, you can sit with us. Iāll get the cheese fries.