| Mean Girls | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Waters |
| Screenplay by | Tina Fey |
| Based on | Queen Bees and Wannabes byRosalind Wiseman |
| Produced by | Lorne Michaels |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daryn Okada |
| Edited by | Wendy Greene Bricmont |
| Music by | Rolfe Kent |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $17–18 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $130.5 million[2][3] |
Mean Girls is a 2004 Americanteencomedy film directed byMark Waters and written byTina Fey. It starsLindsay Lohan,Rachel McAdams,Ana Gasteyer,Tim Meadows,Amy Poehler, and Fey. The film followsCady Heron (Lohan), a naïve teenager who transfers to an American high school after years ofhomeschooling in Africa. Cady quickly befriends outcastsJanis andDamian (Lizzy Caplan andDaniel Franzese), with the trio forming a plan to exact revenge onRegina George (McAdams), the leader of an envied clique known as "the Plastics".
Fey conceived the idea forMean Girls after reading the self-help bookQueen Bees and Wannabes. The book describes femalehigh school socialcliques,school bullying, and the resulting damaging effect on teenagers. Fey also drew from her own experience atUpper Darby High School, inUpper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, as an inspiration for some of the film's concepts.[4]Saturday Night Live creatorLorne Michaels served as a producer; Fey was a long-term cast member and writer forSaturday Night Live.Principal photography took place from September to November 2003. Although the film is set in theChicago suburb ofEvanston, Illinois, filming took place primarily inToronto,Ontario.
Mean Girls premiered at theCinerama Dome inLos Angeles on April 19, 2004, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 30, byParamount Pictures. The film grossed over $130 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics,[5] who praised Waters's direction, Fey's screenplay, its humor, and the performances; especially lauded was Lohan's acting, which earnedseveral accolades, including threeTeen Choice Awards and twoMTV Movie Awards, and in 2021, was listed as the eleventh-best performance of the 21st century byThe New Yorker.
Amade-for-television sequel,Mean Girls 2, premiered onABC Family in January 2011.Mean Girls also spawned various adaptations, including astage musical, which premiered onBroadway in March 2018, with afilm adaptation released in January 2024.
After beinghomeschooled her entire life and having spent the last twelve years inAfrica, 16-year-oldCady Heron begins her first day at North Shore High School. She has trouble making friends and is put down by the teachers on her first day, although she does befriend outcastsJanis Ian andDamian Leigh. Janis and Damian explain the school's variouscliques to her, warning her about the "Plastics", a trio of wealthy and mean girls consisting of ruthlessqueen beeRegina George, insecure gossiper Gretchen Wieners, and bubbly airhead Karen Smith. Regina, Gretchen, and Karen take a shine to Cady and unexpectedly invite her to join the Plastics. Upon realizing this, Janis hatches a plan to infiltrate the group and destroy Regina's reputation.
Cady becomes infatuated with her classmate Aaron Samuels. Karen and Gretchen warn her that, as Regina's ex-boyfriend, he is off-limits, though Regina assures Cady she does not care if Cady and Aaron date. Despite Janis's insistence that Regina is "evil", Cady comes to enjoy hanging out with the group, including writing insulting remarks about their classmates and teachers in a scrapbook called the "Burn Book." However, at aHalloween house party, instead of talking to Aaron on Cady's behalf, Regina kisses him in front of her and resumes their relationship. Feeling betrayed, an enraged Cady fully commits to Janis's plan.
Over the following months, Cady, with Janis and Damian's help, manages to trick Gretchen into revealing her secrets, break up Regina's relationship with Aaron (and spend time with him by pretending to need math tutoring), and cause her to gain weight by giving her high-calorie snack bars under the pretense that they are diet food. After violating the Plastics' dress code rules by wearing sweatpants on Monday, Regina is kicked out of the group and Cady becomes the new "queen bee".
While her parents are out of town, Cady throws a house party. She drunkenly admits to Aaron that she does not actually need math tutoring, and he renounces her for being as manipulative as Regina. Janis and Damian angrily confront Cady for throwing a party instead of attending the former's art show and declare that she has become as plastic as she pretended to be. Meanwhile, Regina becomes enraged when she discovers Cady's sabotage, and inserts fake slander of herself into the Burn Book, hoping to frame the latter along with the other Plastics.
Regina spreads the contents of the book throughout the hallways, inciting chaos. Principal Duvall and math teacher Ms. Norbury gather the female junior students in the gym to talk through their social issues. During this, Janis reveals her plan to destroy Regina to the latter's face and openly mocks her, much to the students' excitement. Regina furiously storms out, pursued by an apologetic Cady. While ranting at Cady, Regina is hit by a school bus and survives, but gets her spine fractured. Rumors circulate that Cady intentionally pushed Regina in front of the bus.
After realizing a comment she wrote in the Burn Book has framed Ms. Norbury as a drug dealer, Cady decides to take full responsibility for the book. Regina, Gretchen, and Karen are spared punishment, but Cady becomes a social pariah and is grounded by her parents. To earn extra credit, Cady joins the schoolMathletes, moderated by Ms. Norbury and led by fellow student Kevin Gnapoor. At the state finals, she correctly answers the tiebreaker question, winning the championship. The team arrives at the Spring Fling dance, where Cady is unexpectedly elected queen. She breaks the plastic tiara and distributes the pieces to others in the crowd, makes peace with Janis, Damian, and the Plastics, and shares a slow dance and a kiss with Aaron.
The Plastics disband by the time senior year begins. A fully-recovered Regina joins the school's lacrosse team to channel her anger positively, Gretchen joins the "Cool Asians" clique, and Karen becomes the school weather girl. Cady begins dating Aaron and continues to hang out with Janis and Damian. Janis starts dating Kevin. While reflecting to herself on the relative social peace that has taken over North Shore High, Cady notices a new popular clique in the freshman class and wonders how long the "Junior Plastics" will last, jokingly imagining them being hit by a school bus.
The film's cast also includes Molly Shanahan andJonathan Malen as Kristen Hadley and her boyfriend, andDaniel DeSanto andDiego Klattenhoff as jocks Jason and Shane Oman, Gretchen and Regina's respective boyfriends.Dwayne Hill plays the school's predatory gym teacher Coach Carr.Alisha Morrison plays "unfriendly" student Lea Edwards andJulia Chantrey plays Amber D'Alessio.Sharron Matthews portrays Mr. Duvall's secretary Joan.
Tina Fey readRosalind Wiseman'sQueen Bees and Wannabes and calledSaturday Night Live producerLorne Michaels to suggest it could be turned into a film. Michaels contactedParamount Pictures, who purchased the rights to the book. As the book is nonfiction, Fey wrote the plot from scratch, borrowing elements from her own experience atUpper Darby High School and her impressions ofEvanston Township High School andNew Trier Township High School from her time living in the Chicago area,[6] upon which the film's fictional "North Shore High School" is based.[7]
Fey named many characters after real-life friends. In a 2014 interview about the movie, she toldEntertainment Weekly, "I tried to use real names in writing because it's just easier."[8] Main characterCady Heron was named after Fey's college roommate Cady Garey.[9]Damian was named after Fey's high school friend Damian Holbrook, who went on to become a writer forTV Guide.[10] Minor character Glenn Coco is named after a friend of Fey's older brother; the real Glenn Coco works as a film editor in Los Angeles.[8] Janis Ian was named after singerJanis Ian, who was one of the two musical guests onthe firstSaturday Night Live episode, in which she sang her hit song "At Seventeen", which can be heard playing in the background when the girls are fighting at Regina's house.[11] The film was originally going to be calledHomeschooled.[12]
Fey, Michaels, andParamount Pictures chairmanSherry Lansing wanted to castLindsay Lohan in the film after seeing her performance inFreaky Friday (2003). Lohan was originally set to playRegina George, but the casting team ended up feeling she was their strongest choice for the role ofCady Heron, and since executives feared the "mean girl" role would alienate her audience, she eventually agreed to play the lead.Rachel McAdams was cast as Regina because Fey felt McAdams being "kind and polite" made her perfect for such an evil-spirited character, and directorMark Waters, who previously directed Lohan inFreaky Friday, felt Lohan was "a little intimidated" by her which made him like their dynamic. McAdams had originally auditioned for the role of Cady but was deemed "a bit too old" for the character.[13]Kristen Stewart,Michelle Trachtenberg andMae Whitman were considered for the role of Cady opposite Lohan's Regina George early on.[14] According to casting directorMarci Liroff,Blake Lively was the top choice to play the role of Karen Smith, but was told by the producers to keep looking.Amanda Seyfried originally auditioned for Regina, and although Waters thought she was "fantastic", the producers instead suggested her for Karen due to her "spacey and daffy sense of humor".[15][16]Leighton Meester,Haylie Duff,Kate Mara andMegan Fox were also up for the role of Karen.America Ferrera andKat Dennings were both heavily favored for the role ofJanis Ian.[17]Lizzy Caplan was at first considered too beautiful for that role, for which Waters felt a "Kelly Osbourne-type" was necessary, but Caplan was chosen for being able to portray raw emotion.Evan Rachel Wood was offered a role in the film, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts, a decision she later regretted.[18]Mary Elizabeth Winstead was asked to audition for the role ofGretchen Wieners, but her mother declined as she disliked the script.[19]Ashley Tisdale andVanessa Hudgens also auditioned for Gretchen.[17][13]Jonathan Bennett was a last-minute replacement after the actor originally slated to play the role of Aaron Samuels was fired.James Franco had previously been considered for Aaron, andPenn Badgley,Jared Padalecki andMax Minghella all auditioned as well.[20][21] Fey's decision to hire Bennett was due to his resemblance to her longtimeSNL co-starJimmy Fallon.[22]Lacey Chabert andDaniel Franzese were the last actors tested for their roles. Fey wrote two roles based on fellowSNL alumniTim Meadows andAmy Poehler, the latter of whom Fey thought the producers would perceive as too young to portray a teenager's mother. The cast additionally ended up with a fourth veteran of the show,Ana Gasteyer.[11]
Although set inEvanston, Illinois, the film was mostly shot inToronto, Ontario, atEtobicoke Collegiate Institute andMalvern Collegiate Institute, as well as atMontclair High School inMontclair, New Jersey.[23] Landmarks include theUniversity of Toronto'sConvocation Hall andSherway Gardens. Principal photography commenced on September 27, and concluded on November 25, 2003.[24]
Mean Girls: Music from the Motion Picture was released byRykodisc and Bulletproof Records on September 21, 2004, the same day as the DVD release. The album featured songs performed bythe Donnas,Pink,Kelis,Samantha Ronson,Boomkat,Blondie,Katy Rose andPeaches amongst several others.
Mean Girls was released onVHS andDVD in North America on September 21, 2004, five months after its theatrical release. It was released in a special collector's edition, in both its original 1.77:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1.33:1 fullscreen crop, including severaldeleted scenes, ablooper reel, three TV spots, the theatrical trailer, previews, and three featurettes.[25] ABlu-ray version of the film was released on April 14, 2009. The film was later re-released on a 15th-anniversary Blu-ray in 2019.[26] A limitedSteelBook edition of the film was released in September 2022.[27] It was released on4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time on April 30, 2024, in commemoration of the film's 20th anniversary along with the release of the2024 film.[28][29]
In its opening weekend,Mean Girls grossed $24.4 million from 3,159 screens[30] at 2,839 theaters in the United States, ranking number one at the box office and averaging $8,606 per venue.[2] The film closed on September 9, 2004, grossing $86.1 million domestically and $44.4 million internationally for a total worldwide gross of $130.5 million.[2][3] Paramount said the audience was 75% female, and 50% was under the age of 18. Over 90% of moviegoers rated the picture either "excellent" or "very good", and positive notices remained strong even outside the target demographic; ratings were over 80% positive from men in their thirties.[31]
Mean Girls received largely positive reviews;[32] critics lauded Lohan's and McAdams's performances and labeled the film as Seyfried and Caplan's breakthrough roles.[33]Review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 84% based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 6.90/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Elevated by a brilliant screenplay and outstandingensemble cast,Mean Girls finds fresh, female-fronted humor in the high school experience."[34] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[35] Audiences polled byCinemaScore, gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[36]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, writing: "In a wasteland of dumb movies about teenagers,Mean Girls is a smart and funny one."[37]Ann Hornaday ofThe Washington Post wrote that it "boasts a one-two-three punch in star Lindsay Lohan, screenwriter Tina Fey and director Mark Waters, and, indeed, it delivers a knockout".[38] The screenplay was highly praised by critics withPeter Travers ofRolling Stone calling it "comic gold".[39][37] In April 2004, Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote, "as inThe House of Yes andFreaky Friday, Waters keeps it wild but real", noting that "all the supporting performances go right to the edge of absurdity without crossing the line into random zaniness."[40]Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying:"'Fetch' may never happen, but 2004's eminently quotable movie is still one of the sharpest high school satires ever. Which is pretty grool, if you ask me!"[41] In 2006,Entertainment Weekly had also named it the 12th-best high school film of all time: "WhileMean Girls is technically a comedy, its depiction of girl-on-girl cattiness stings incredibly true."[42] In 2012, Rotten Tomatoes included the film in its "Top 50 Greatest Teen Comedies" list.[43] In 2021,Marie Claire rankedMean Girls as the best 2000s movie, calling it "the '00s pop culture staple".[44]
In 2020, Hornaday includedMean Girls at No. 8 in her list "The 34 Best Political Movies Ever Made".[45] She wrote: "[I]n addition to the usual adolescent high jinks and catty comebacks, screenwriter Tina Fey managed to create an incredibly insightful taxonomy of hierarchical power as it is amassed, wielded and ultimately dismantled — all within the complicated context of high school politics, Queen Bee-enforced gender norms and internalized sexism. That's a lot to accomplish, even if we never exactly made 'fetch' happen".[45]
In March 2021, Richard Brody ofThe New Yorker ranked Lohan's performance as the eleventh best of the 21st century up to that point, praising her "blend of charisma and awkwardness, innocence and guile" as well as "faux-casual earnestness" she used for dialogue.[46] In 2022,Rolling Stone rankedMean Girls as the twentieth greatest comedy of the 21st century, saying: "Tina Fey established herself as one of America's best comedy writers courtesy of this instant teen-movie classic, which boasts one of the most quotable scripts of the past 20 years",[47] whileIndieWire ranked it as the fifteenth best comedy of the 21st century, calling the script "effortlessly funny, but what makes the film truly timeless has more to do with the actors' ability to find the human grace notes amid the absurd high school hijinks (Kälteen Bars, anyone?) and instant-classic one-liners ("That's so fetch"). It's a high school comedy with broad genre humor and specific insight into teenage anxieties, and for that, it stands the test of time."[48] In October 2022,The Independent also included Lohan's role in a list of "outstanding performances", stating that she "gives a pretty flawless performance, dexterously balancing the film's irreverent comic tone with moments of occasional pathos."[49] In 2025, it ranked number 82 on the "Readers' Choice" edition ofThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."[50]
Mean Girls has become apop culture phenomenon.[51][52][53] Fans have madeGIFs andmemes of the film and posted them on various social media platforms, includingFacebook,Twitter andTumblr.[54][55][56][57][58] It is considered one of the most quotable films of all time.[59][60][61][62] In an interview about the film, Fey noted: "Adults find it funny. They are the ones who are laughing. Young people watch it like a reality show. It's much too close to their real experiences so they are not exactly guffawing."[63] October 3 began being dubbed "Mean Girls Day" on social media especially beginning in 2012, alluding to a line by Cady, the protagonist.[64][65] People also celebrate by wearing pink based on a line by Karen, another character. Clothing designers have printed quotes and other iconic imagery onto clothing and various merchandise.[66]
The cast have reunited in video over the years on that day for various causes. In 2017, aGoFundMe was created to raise money for the victims of theLas Vegas shooting and theNational Compassion Fund.[67] In 2019, they collaborated with theThirst Project to fund a freshwater well inUganda.[68] In 2020, the cast was honored with the Pioneering Spirit Award for their #MeanGirlsDoGood campaign.[69] On October 3, 2020,Katie Couric moderated a virtual cast reunion to reminisce about the film. Organized in collaboration withHeadCount to promote voting in the2020 United States presidential election, it was the first time the entire cast gathered since the 2004 premiere.[70][71] Paramount Pictures released the entire film for free streaming onTikTok in 23 snippets to celebrate Mean Girls Day 2023.[72] Thehashtag "#meangirlsday" was one of the top trends on the platform that month.[73]
American singer-songwriterMariah Carey has said several times that she is a fan, quoting the film in numerous interviews and TV appearances, including a 2013 episode ofAmerican Idol. Carey's 2009 single, "Obsessed", begins with an interlude quote where she says, "And I was like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?'", a line from Regina. Carey's ex-husband,Nick Cannon, revealed that the song was inspired by the film.[74][75] In September 2020, Fey quizzed Carey to prove how much of a "superfan" she is onBillboard'sQuizzed video series.[76] Meanwhile, British bandWet Leg quotes the film ("Is your muffin buttered?/Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?") in their 2021 song "Chaise Longue".[77]
In August 2013, theWhite House tweeted a photo ofPresident Obama's dog,Bo, holding a tennis ball and captioning: "Bo, stop trying to make fetch happen".[78][79]Taco Bell made a reply to the White House, also using one of the quotes from the film.[80] In June 2018, the official Twitter account of theIsraeli Embassy in the U.S. made headlines when it responded to a tweet by Iranian leaderAli Khamenei, calling Israel "a malignant cancerous tumor", with an animated GIF of the "Why are you so obsessed with me?" quote.[81] In March 2019,Hillary Clinton tweeted a GIF of the same quote which wentviral for being considered a response toDonald Trump.[82] At the2013 People's Choice Awards,Jennifer Lawrence referenced the film in her speech when she won Favorite Movie Actress.[83]
Multiple scenes have been reenacted and parodied by various celebrities throughout the years following its release, includingEd Sheeran,Ariana Grande,Iggy Azalea,Amber Rose andWaka Flocka Flame during a 2014 skit forMTV.[84][85][86][87][88][89] In 2013, a Tumblr called "Les Mean Girls" emerged, which coupled lines from the film with images from the2012 film adaptation of the musicalLes Misérables.[90][91] The scene where Janis explains to Cady the cliques of their school is parodied in the 2008superhero/teenspoofSuperhero Movie, where Trey points out the different groups of cliques to Rick Riker. One of the cliques is "Frodos" – kids dressed up asHobbits akin toFrodo, theLord of the Rings character, and another the "Scarface Society" – dressed up asAl Pacino's characterTony Montana from the 1983 filmScarface.
In June 2020, IrishTaoiseachLeo Varadkar referenced the film during a COVID-19 lockdown news briefing. Varadkar stated that "some have asked whether there is a limit to what we can achieve", before drawing upon a line from the film: "My answer is that the limit does not exist."Lord of the Rings andThe Goonies actorSean Astin bet the Irish leader "50 quid" to quoteMean Girls in his next speech.[92]
The sixth episode of the third season ofHow to Get Away with Murder included several references to the film, including Michaela Pratt using the line "you can't sit with us",Annalise Keating eating her lunch in a toilet cubicle after feeling like an outcast, Laurel Castillo wearing sweatpants on a Monday, and Simon Drake calling several other students "mean girls".[93] At the2021 British Academy Television Awards, actressAimee Lou Wood also mentioned the scene where Cady broke her Spring Fling crown in pieces and shared it with the other nominees in her speech.[94] The second novel by American authorKaren M. McManus,Two Can Keep a Secret, includes a reference to a line in the film, where the character Ezra refers to his school's prom committee as looking like "they wear pink on Wednesdays".[95]
In October 2024, the film was released in North American theaters again byFathom Events for its 20th anniversary.[96]
To celebrate the film's 20th anniversary, Paramount collaborated withMGA Entertainment to feature Cady and the Plastics as limited-editionBratz dolls. The collaboration collection released each character on separate dates throughout October 2024, with Cady on the 3rd, Regina on the 17th and Karen and Gretchen on the 31st (Halloween).[97]
| Organizations | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teen Choice Awards | August 8, 2004 | Choice Comedy Movie Actress | Lindsay Lohan | Won | [98] |
| Choice Breakout Movie Actress | Won | ||||
| Choice Movie Liar | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Movie Blush | Won | ||||
| Rachel McAdams | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Comedy Movie Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Breakout Movie Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Movie Hissy Fit | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Movie Villain | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Breakout Movie Actor | Jonathan Bennett | Nominated | |||
| Choice Comedy Movie | Mean Girls | Nominated | |||
| Choice Movie Chemistry | Lindsay Lohan and Jonathan Bennett | Nominated | |||
| Choice Movie Fight/Action Sequence | Lindsay Lohan vs. Rachel McAdams | Nominated | |||
| Smash Hits Poll Winners Party | November 21, 2004 | Best Movie | Mean Girls | Runner-up | [99] |
| Best Movie Star | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | |||
| People's Choice Awards | January 9, 2005 | Favorite Comedy Movie | Mean Girls | Nominated | [100] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 10, 2005 | Best Young Performer | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | [101] |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 30, 2005 | Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up | Mean Girls | Nominated | [102] |
| International Online Cinema Awards | February 3, 2005 | Best Breakthrough | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | [103] |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | February 9, 2005 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Tina Fey | Nominated | [104] |
| Gold Derby Awards | February 18, 2005 | Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | [105] | |
| Breakthrough Performance | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | February 19, 2005 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Tina Fey | Nominated | [106] |
| Golden Schmoes Awards | February 25, 2005 | Best T&A of the Year | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | [107] |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 27, 2005 | Best Youth Performance | Nominated | [108] | |
| Best First Screenplay | Tina Fey | Nominated | |||
| Kids' Choice Awards | April 2, 2005 | Favorite Movie Actress | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | [109] |
| Much Viewers' Poll | April 23, 2005 | Hottest Action Sequence | Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams | Won | [110] |
| Best of the Worst | Rachel McAdams | Won | |||
| Best One-Liner | Runner-up | ||||
| BMI Film & TV Awards | May 18, 2005 | BMI Film Music Award | Rolfe Kent | Won | [111] |
| MTV Movie Awards | June 4, 2005 | Best Female Performance | Lindsay Lohan | Won | [112] |
| Breakthrough Female Performance | Rachel McAdams | Won | |||
| Best On-Screen Team | Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams,Lacey Chabert, andAmanda Seyfried | Won | |||
| Best Villain | Rachel McAdams | Nominated | |||
| Australian Kids' Choice Awards | September 20, 2005 | Fave Movie Star | Lindsay Lohan | Nominated | [113] |
| Gold Derby Decade Awards | January 17, 2010 | Adapted Screenplay of the Decade | Tina Fey | Nominated | [114] |
| Thirst Project | October 3, 2020 | Pioneering Spirit Award | Cast ofMean Girls / #MeanGirlsDoGood | Won | [69] |
In early 2014,Warner Bros. Pictures andNew Line Cinema announced a planned release date of May 8, 2015, for a film adapted from another book penned byRosalind Wiseman. The project was titledMean Moms, despite not being announced as a spin-off ofMean Girls.Beth McCarthy-Miller was set to direct withJennifer Aniston to star.[115] However, in May 2014, New Line Cinema pulled the film from its proposed release date of May 2015.[116]
In 2018, Jonathan Bennett, who portrayed Aaron Samuels, released a cookbook inspired by the film, calledThe Burn Cookbook: Real Recipes to Feed Your Inner Plastic.[117] The following year, he teamed up with Nocking Point Wines to release a limited rosé wine edition.[118]
Ariana Grande parodied the film in the music video for her 2018 song "Thank U, Next". Actors Bennett and Stefanie Drummond appeared in the video. A clip from the film was featured in a 2020Discover Card commercial, which aired during theSuper Bowl LIV.[119] K-pop singerSunmi named her song "You Can't Sit with Us", after a quote from the film.
AMean Girls-themedpop-up restaurant inSanta Monica called "Fetch" was announced in 2020 as well.[120]Primark launched a loungewear range inspired by the film in October 2019.[121] On October 3, 2020, theYoung Veterans Brewing Company released aMean Girls-themed beer called "Army Pants & Flip Flops".[122] SeveralMean Girls-themed events, merchandising products and screenings have been often organized and produced in homage to the film.[123][124][125][126][127]
In August 2020,Screen Junkies released anHonest Trailers episode, calling the film "the best thing to come out of that era," withScreen Rant's Daniel Gillespie saying: "Mean Girls remains entertaining, funny, and, most importantly, accurate. [...] That relevance almost two decades later proves thatMean Girls is deserving of its classic status,"[128] andSlashfilm's Ethan Anderton writing that the "generation-defining high school movie" not only captures the teenage culture of the early 2000s perfectly, "but it's also hilariously clever for being adapted from a non-fiction parenting advice book [...] Mean Girls is great because it captures that cruel teen vibe perfectly, and it tries to deliver a nice wholesome message to fight it, which kids will laugh at, agree with, and then never do anything about."[129] In September 2020, thePillsbury Company released a limited edition ofToaster Strudel featuring pink icing andMean Girls packaging to pay homage to its movie-claimed inventor's daughter, Gretchen Wieners.[130] In October 2023,Nestlé'sCoffee Mate announced that a limited-edition pink frosting flavored creamer would be available from January 2024 to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.[131]
In November 2023,Walmart unveiled its annual holiday campaign featuring much of the original cast, including Lohan, Seyfried, Chabert, Franzese, and Surendra, reprising their roles as adults and recreating the film's scenes with modern twists.[132][133]
A game for PC was released in 2009 featuring characters specifically created for the game.[134]
In 2010, aMean Girls video game developed by Crush Digital Media and planned to be published by505 Games for theNintendo DShandheld game console was announced, but was ultimately canceled before release.[135][136] Nearly completed before cancellation, the game resurfaced in 2021 by YouTuber Ray Mona (also known as Raven Simone),[137] who received a file for the game from an anonymous email.[138] A full playthrough was uploaded to her channel on July 15, 2021.[139]
In 2015,Episode launched an interactive animated web story entitledSenior Year. It picks up after the events of the film with the player taking the role of a new student who enters North Shore during senior year.[140][141] It was followed by two other stories,Sorority Rush andSpring Break.[142]
On January 28, 2013, Fey confirmed that a stage musical adaptation was in the works. Fey wrote the book of the show, while her husband,Jeff Richmond, composed the music with lyrics byNell Benjamin.[143] Directed byCasey Nicholaw, the original production premiered at theNational Theatre in Washington, D.C., on October 31, 2017, for pre-Broadway tryouts.[144] The show transferred toBroadway at theAugust Wilson Theatre, with previews beginning on March 12, 2018, and official opening on April 8, 2018.[145]
The original cast featuredErika Henningsen as Cady,Taylor Louderman as Regina,Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis,Grey Henson as Damian,Ashley Park as Gretchen, andKate Rockwell as Karen. The show received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for twelve awards at the72nd Tony Awards, includingBest Musical.[146] An original Broadway cast recording was released on May 18, 2018.[147] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the show played its final performance on Broadway on March 11, 2020, after one performance with a mostly new cast.[148]
On January 23, 2020, Fey announced that a film adaptation of the stage musical was in active development.[149] The film was directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. in theirfeature film directorial debut, with Fey returning to write the screenplay and also produce alongside returning producerLorne Michaels. Richmond and Benjamin also returned to rework their songs from the musical.[150]
The musical film was released theatrically on January 12, 2024, by Paramount Pictures, after being originally set to premiere on the streaming serviceParamount+.[151]Reneé Rapp, who previously portrayed Regina as a replacement for Louderman in the musical from 2019 until its closure in 2020, reprises her role, while Fey andTim Meadows reprise their roles from the original film.[152][153] Ashley Park, who originated the role of Gretchen in the stage musical, appears as Madame Park, the school French teacher.[154] Lohan also makes a cameo appearance as the moderator of the Mathletes tournament, which was unannounced prior to the film's release.[155][156]
Anovelization based on the script, by authorMicol Ostow, was released in September 2017 byScholastic.[157] Another novelization – written in the style ofWilliam Shakespeare – byIan Doescher was released in April 2019, under the titleWilliam Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls.[158]
On September 29, 2020, agraphic novel, written by Arianna Irwin and illustrated by Alba Cardona, was released by Insight Editions. TitledMean Girls: Senior Year, it picks up after the events of the film and centers on the arrival of a new student, Megan Moretti, who wants to be the most popular kid at school.[159][160][161] ALittle Golden Book retelling was released in 2024.[162]
A made-for-television sequel, titledMean Girls 2, premiered on January 23, 2011, onABC Family, and subsequently released on DVD on February 1 byParamount Home Entertainment.[163][164] The film is directed byMelanie Mayron and starsMeaghan Martin,Jennifer Stone,Maiara Walsh,Nicole Gale Anderson, andClaire Holt, whileTim Meadows reprises his role as the principal Ron Duvall. Meadows is the only original cast member to return in the sequel.[165]
In late September 2014, discussions arose that Lohan had pitched an idea to Fey for a sequel. Later that year, Lohan, along with other cast members of the original film, asked Fey to write a screenplay for it. The idea was brought up during a 10th anniversary of the film inEntertainment Weekly, with Fey declaring she regretted not doing a sequel closer to its original release: "At the time we did want to start the conversation about the sequel, and for whatever reason I was like, 'No!!! We shouldn't do that!' Now I look back and I'm like, 'Why?' But now, no—it's too late now."[166] Seyfried had previously said she was "really willing to pursue" a sequel and was unsure why it had not happened.[167] In December 2016, Lohan mentioned she was still trying to pitch a sequel, with the hopes ofJamie Lee Curtis andJimmy Fallon appearing in the film.[168][169] She said she knew Fey, Michaels and Paramount were busy, declaring: "I will keep forcing it and pushing it on them until we do it."[170] In October 2018, Seyfried said people needed to start a campaign for it to finally come into fruition.[171] In January 2019, Lohan was interviewed byHoward Stern who wondered whether the sequel would ever happen. Lohan repeated her interest in revisiting the role and confirmed she had spoken to Fey about it, also saying sequel plans were not currently in the works, "I think they can't do it right now. I've spoken to her [Tina], but it can't happen without her and all of the cast. [...] Sometimes you're like, 'It's just too soon to do it.' But it's been 15 years."[172] In October 2019, Chabert was asked if a sequel would be happening to which she replied: "I don't know. I wish I had an answer for you, I feel like you need to start a petition," while saying she would "of course" revisit the character if given the chance as "it would be so much fun to revisit these women and see where they are now."[173][174]
In April 2020, Lohan was once again asked about the sequel byDavid Spade and confessed she had been hanging on to the idea of coming back to doing movies with that project "for a really long time" but that it was out of her hands. "To work with Tina [Fey], and the whole crew again, and Mark Waters. That was really what I wanted. I was excited to do that. But that's all in their hands really," she concluded.[175] A few days later, McAdams also expressed interest in reprising her role in a sequel,[176] after having declared in previous years she would be up for it as long as Fey was on board, "She's our master-in-chief on this one. So, if she's into it, then I'm into it."[177][178] Bennett then reacted to his co-stars by saying, "I was extremely excited when I heard Rachel [McAdams] say she'd love to play Regina George again because I've talked to over half the cast, including Lindsay [Lohan], and we all feel the same way", continuing, "We'd love to bring these beloved characters back to life at some point."[179] In an August 2020 interview on the podcastUnspooled, director Mark Waters discussed an idea for a sequel where the main characters from the original movie would now be young mothers serving together in aparent–teacher association, adding that its development is entirely up to Fey wanting to write a screenplay.[180] A possible sequel was also questioned byKatie Couric while moderating a virtual reunion with the film's cast on October 3, 2020.[181] Bennett then said in an interview he thought the virtual reunion "opened the door" for a sequel.[182]
In August 2022, Franzese talked about a potential sequel or reboot, "I would absolutely love it. And I would do it in any form whatsoever. This movie brings people so much joy. [...] I mean, I want to do a whole movie with the whole cast. We all play different characters. People would love that, you know? Tina Fey's got that power and she ain't pulling the trigger. So I don't know who else could do it." He revealed he was writing his own script and would try to pitch it to Fey as they approached the film's 20th anniversary.[183] In November 2022, Caplan was asked about aMean Girls reboot and, although she was unsure about what was left of the story, she stated she would "of course" want to be a part of it: "I would be an idiot not to join."[184] That same month, Seyfried interviewed Lohan forInterview magazine and expressed again their desire to work on a sequel but found it unlikely to happen at that moment due to the development of themovie musical.[185][186] Meanwhile, during an interview onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Chabert also shared a pitch where their characters' kids would become the "new mean girls".[187] In early 2023, Seyfried stated all four actresses would like to reunite on set, suggesting potential roles as the mothers of their characters in the movie musical.[188][189][190][191] In January 2024, Fey said they tried to bring back all four actresses for the movie musical but "it didn't come together". When asked about a possible sequel, she responded: "I have a feeling Paramount would love that. I have not really thought much about that. To me, part of why the stakes are so high in the story is because everyone's so young and feelings are huge, love is huge and friendship is huge in a way [that it isn't with] middle-aged moms. I love writing about middle-aged people, but I don't know."[192]
The film was a runaway success, grossing over $130 million at the box office and receiving positive reviews from critics
When it was released, the movie was a commercial success and received positive reviews, with critics praising the performances by Lohan, McAdams, Caplan and Seyfried.
;Retrieved September 24, 2009.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
