So, the Mean Girls musical trailer came out recently. I had heard rumors of a new Mean Girls movie in the works, but seeing it actually come together is something new altogether. I know that a lot of people are nervous about a new Mean Girls because the original was so perfect, but to be honest, I’m kind of excited for something new. I always enjoy a good remake and this looks promising.
First of all, Tina Fey is back! She wrote the original screenplay for Mean Girls and, of course, acted in it as Ms. Norbury, and she reprises her role in the new musical. We also have Tim Meadows returning as Principal Duvall. I absolutely love when remakes have cameos from the original cast so I am all for them reprising their roles. I also appreciate seeing the new cast shine. Angourine Rice (MCU Spider-Man movies, Honor Society) is starring as Cady Heron alongside Renee Rapp (The Sex Lives of College Girls) as Regina George, Bebe Wood (Love, Victor, The Real O’Neals) as Gretchen Weiners, and Avantika Vandanapu (Senior Year, Moxie) as Karen Smith. Continuing on in this star-studded cast, Christopher Brinely (The Summer I Turned Pretty) as Aaron Samuels, Auli’i Cravalho (Moana, Crush), and Jaquel Spivey in his debut film as Damien Hubbard. To me, it is really cool to see all these fresh faces from different shows and movies in such an ambitious project. It will be hard to match up to the undeniable nostalgia and camp of the original movie.
Now, as I briefly mentioned before: it’s a musical. This is definitely one way to create something fresh and exciting. If it was just a remake, I don’t think that I would have as much faith in it. I’ve actually never seen the Mean Girls Broadway musical or heard any of the songs, so I am excited to see it all for the first time when the movie comes out. Renee Rapp has a killer voice and has had so much success in her singing career so far, so I have no doubt that she will be amazing in the movie. Auli’i Cravalho is another person with an amazing voice, so I hope she gets to show off her talent in the movie as well. As for the rest of the cast, I can only hope that they are as talented. The trailer does not actually show any of the cast singing, or really even dancing, so it will all be completely new when the movie comes out.
The movie is set to release on January 12, 2024, so it is just around the corner. I will definitely be there opening week to see what the film has in store. From the trailer, it looks like there will be a lot of modern updates to the original story of the film which can be really fun! Classic scenes like the Halloween party, the Jingle Bell Rock dance, and the assembly after the burn book pages get leaked were all teased in the trailer. I’m glad that the filmmakers kept some of the best parts of Mean Girls but also added some freshness to it. Nothing can beat the original Mean Girls, but I do think that this will be something different that could be really good. If you’re a fan of Mean Girls or the Broadway Mean Girls Musical, consider checking the film out when it hits theaters in January.
