Mean Girls is making its way back to screens as Paramount has revealed some totally fetch news. The Broadway adaptation of the 2004 hit will be adapted (again) as a movie musical. Along with the general reveal, Paramount has announced the core cast for the musical. Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey will lead the cast, along with Reneé Rapp reprising her Broadway Mean Girls role for the feature.
First adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book Queen Bees and Wannabes, Mean Girls follows Cady Heron (originated by Lindsay Lohan), a teenager who recently moved back to the States where she is thrust into the complex and messy dynamics of high school. Soon, Cady finds herself swept into the popular clique of the school, The Plastics, after developing a crush on Aaron Samuels, the ex of head Plastic Regina George (Rachel McAdams). What started as an infiltration mission soon takes Cady down the path of becoming a full-blown Plastic herself.
Mean Girl musical vet Rapp will star as Regina, whom she also portrayed for the Broadway show. While currently starring in HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, Rapp is a seasoned theater actor and recently released her debut EP Everything to Everyone. Broadway alum Spivey is set to play Damien (originated by Daniel Franzese) for the movie musical. Most recently, Spivey is known for his role in the award-winning musical A Strange Loop.
Cravalho, who demonstrated her singing chops in Disney’s Moana, will play Janis (first portayed by Lizzy Caplan). She also recently starred in 20th Century Studios and Hulu’s YA comedy feature Darby and the Dead and Hulu’s Crush. Her other credits include Ralph Breaks the Internet and All Together Now. Last but not least, Rice will star as Cady. Though she hasn’t yet starred in musicals prior to this one, she lent her vocals to a track for Mare of Easttown, singing a cover of “We Belong.” Rice is well-known for playing Betty Brant in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movies, and most recently starred in Honor Society and Senior Year.
Original screenwriter Tina Fey will return to pen the script for the movie musical, and also wrote the book for the Broadway rendition. She will produce alongside Lorne Michaels, with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. as the directors.
Paramount has yet to set a release date for the movie musical, but it will debut on Paramount+.
