Meet the new Plastics in the latest adaptation of the 2004 cult classic ‘Mean Girls.’ The updated version incorporates 13 songs from the Broadway show, a brand new cast, and the return of some fan favorites.
Based on Tina Fey’s adaptation screenplay of ‘Queen Bees and Wannabees,’ the 2004 film was later adapted for Broadway in 2018, earning 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and more.
Originally slated for a streaming release on Paramount+, the studio decided on a theatrical release for the film following positive test screenings. ‘Mean Girls’ held its premiere in New York City on January 8, 2024.
‘Mean Girls’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes. Didn’t get to experience the musical movie in theaters? Don’t worry. As of February 20, 2024, the movie was available to rent for $19.99 or purchase for $26.99 on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu. Currently, various streaming platforms have the movie on sale for $5.99 to rent and $12.99, so if you’ve been wanting to see the movie, take advantage of this deal before it’s gone.
While ‘Mean Girls’ features a (mostly) brand new cast, there are a few return fan favorites and cameos. Tina Fey and Tim Meadows return to reprise their roles as Ms. Norbury and Mr. Duvall, respectively. Ashley Park (‘Joy Ride’) cameos as French teacher Madame Park in the film. Park originated the role of Gretchen Wieners on Broadway and earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
It is also worth mentioning that Reneé Rapp also played the role of Regina George on Broadway. In fact, the role marks the actress’ Broadway debut, who played Regina from 2019 to 2020 before it was shut down due to the pandemic.
Lindsay Lohan, the star of the original ‘Mean Girls’, also appears in the film as the Mathletes Moderator.
‘Mean Girls’ will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD on April 30th. A two-movie collection set will be available, with both the 2024 version and the original 2004 version. April 30th also marks the first time the original film will be released in 4K.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Mean Girls’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Mean Girls’ is below:
From the comedic mind of Tina Fey comes a new twist on the modern classic, MEAN GIRLS. New student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her minions Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.
The new horror movie ‘Tarot,’ which is based on the novel ‘Horrorscope’ and was directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, is scheduled to open in theaters on May 3rd.
Jacob Batalon in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jacob Batalon about his work on ‘Tarot,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, his character, working with the cast and the filmmakers, the effects, improvising on set, filming on location, if he believes in tarot cards, and why it is fun making a horror movie, as well as giving an update on the next MCU ‘Spider-Man’ movie, and discussing season 2 of his popular Syfy series ‘Reginald the Vampire’.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Jacob Batalon.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay for ‘Tarot’ and why did you want to be part of the project?
Jacob Batalon: I thought it was such a funny, also very great and relatable movie. I think that the friend group relationship is so strong that you don’t want to see any of them die. The movie itself just turned out to be so great.
MF: How would you describe your character, Paxton and what was your approach to playing him?
JB: He’s a great friend. He’s very hard-headed, but he’s one that will try to get your back for sure but is also a little cowardice. I felt that Anna and Spenser, our directors absolutely gave me the space to really play and find the places where I could be funny, but then also be serious and to take things seriously. It turned out great.
MF: Did you improvise a lot on set, or did you stick strictly to the script?
JB: I improved quite a bit and then they told me to reel it back and then they let me improv again. So, it was figuring out what was appropriate and what wasn’t. I think everyone sort of gives me the space to just do things for sure, which is nice.
Harriet Slater in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Can you talk about the tarot card that your character pulls, and do you personally believe in the power of tarot cards?
JB: I would say that it can help you learn some things about yourself. I try to steer clear of anything spiritual just in case I get a ghost attached to me. But Paxton basically pulls the fool card, which means you are a little bullish on things and you should be more thoughtful about making plans and really thinking about your surroundings, and that hopefully doesn’t murder him in the end.
MF: We recently spoke with actor Adain Bradley about ‘Tarot’ and he mentioned that the two of you became very close friends making this movie. What was your experience like working with him?
JB: Adain was great. I think he and I really bonded on that movie, and we would basically work out every day together and he just is a great guy. I really was spending time with him. We really got close on that movie, and I enjoy watching him and his career going the way it’s going right now. I think I’m going to be at his wedding.
MF: What was it like working with the rest of the ensemble cast?
JB: I mean, everyone was so talented and so fun to be around. I think the girls were really into tarot for sure, they were really all about it. It was just a typical friend group. I think especially being the only Americans around in Serbia and Belgrade, we had to stick together. I think that really grew out the chemistry as well too, so it was a lot of jokes for sure.
Avantika Vandanapu in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Did you enjoy shooting on location in Serbia?
JB: Serbia as a country is such a beautiful place and we were able to find in that beautiful place the scariest places possible. I’ve worked on movies where we’re working late at night in some forest, but there were some places where I felt that maybe we shouldn’t be here.
MF: Is it fun making a horror movie or is it emotionally exhausting?
JB: I think it’s a bit of both, for sure. I think it’s a fun, thrilling adventure to really do a horror movie because you’re always up and something scary is going to pop out at you. It’s like a haunted house. But also, you are emotionally charged all the time between the crying, the screaming, seeing scary things and all these heightened emotions. You’re at a hundred percent all the time.
MF: What was it like shooting scenes with The Fool?
JB: It’s a practical costume, and the guy who did it, this contortionist, he was able to really bend his body in ways that were eerie. It felt like he didn’t have a spine. It was crazy.
MF: After making the Marvel movies and acting opposite tennis balls on a green screen, was it refreshing to work with practical effects?
JB: (On ‘Spider-Man’) we’re just looking at a blank green screen or blue screen and you’re told to scream now or run away. It’s just funny. I think it makes it a lot easier to build up a natural organic reaction to something. Also, I would say that it really does add to the effect, and it doesn’t feel like it’s just added into something that we’re screaming at.
(L to R) Actor Adain Bradley and ‘Tarot’ directors Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: What was it like working with the directing team of Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg?
JB: It was great. I think because it’s their shared vision, they both knew exactly what they wanted. It was their first time directing something big and they did well. They’re writers first and foremost, so they know exactly the story that they want to tell. They were just great to be around. They had good energy about wanting to film stuff and they really do like scary things.
MF: Are you a horror movie fan?
JB: Yeah, for sure. I love watching scary movies. I took my girlfriend to watch, we had a pre-screening of it and she was so terrified. It was very satisfying to watch her hide her face and scream at certain points. I knew what those points that she screamed at would be, and I was absolutely laughing while we were filming it.
MF: What was the experience of making the ‘Spider-Man’ films like for you and working with Tom Holland and Zendaya?
JB: It was great. It was my first job ever, ‘Homecoming’ was, and so it felt like I was being thrown into the deep end really trying to learn everything I can about the industry and being a good actor. I think that it has helped me in my life now professionally and personally. I mean, I can’t say enough about the people that I’ve worked with. They’ve taught me a lot. Everyone were veterans when I first met them, working with Robert Downey Jr., watching Marisa Tomei and Michael Keaton really do their things, it was truly a blessing watching everyone else from Jake to Toby (Maguire) to Andrew (Garfield) and everyone else. I really love Willem (Dafoe). They were just so awesome to really watch do their thing because they’re so good at it. It was a very special experience for sure.
(L to R) Jacob Batalon and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. Photo: Sony/Marvel.
MF: Do you feel like you became a stronger actor between making ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Now Way Home’?
JB: I would hope so, but I think for me, I learned a lot and I learned how to conduct myself. So, I guess in that sense, yeah, for sure. But I would hope other people see it in me too.
MF: Are you excited for the opportunity to return for ‘Spider-Man 4’ and have a chance to work with Tom and Zendaya again?
JB: Yeah, it would be nice to be a part of something great like that. Hopefully it happens, but we know this industry, it’s just whatever happens, happens. But yeah, it’d be nice.
MF: There was recently an internet rumor that ‘Spider-Man 4’ will start shooting this fall. Is that true?
JB: I don’t know. I don’t know how everyone else knows this stuff and I don’t. That’s not a good sign for me.
Jacob Batalon.
MF: In general, what are you looking for when you are choosing projects to be a part of?
JB: I think you read so many things that you get the gist of basic storytelling and there’s certain patterns that you realize and recognize. I think for me, if I read a story and I can’t predict what happens within 50-60 pages, I’ll probably see it through. But usually if I can tell where this is going and it’s kind of doing the same things, I think that’s probably something that I might not be gravitating towards. I mean, I’m open to anything that’s cool, creative and different. I’m not necessarily looking for a particular role, I’m more like whatever strikes me as interesting. I know it was a very vague answer, but I really do like anything that I think is a good read on script. I think you would want to work with people who are well-seasoned and who are creative, but you also just want to make sure you click with people. I think that’s a very big part of creativity.
Jacob Batalon in ‘Reginald the Vampire’. Photo: Syfy.
MF: Finally, the second season of your Syfy series ‘Reginald the Vampire’ premieres on May 8th. What can fans expect from the upcoming season?
JB: With season two of ‘Reginald’, it is like you are watching his continued growth and his willingness to be the hero. I think the first time around he was sort of reluctantly the hero, but now he really takes on that role. We’re facing a bigger threat now. It’s not just the community against me in terms of vampires, but we’re facing the angels who are far more powerful and superior in every way, so it’s up to Reginald again to really save the day.
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What is the plot of ‘Tarot’?
The plot centers on a group of college friends who start dying in ways that are related to their fortunes after having their tarot cards read. Before their time runs out, they must work together to uncover the mystery.
(L to R) Actor Adain Bradley and ‘Tarot’ directors Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Opening in theaters on May 3rd is the new horror movie ‘Tarot,’ which is based on the novel ‘Horrorscope’ and was directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending an event for ‘Tarot,’ where we had an opportunity to speak with directors Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, as well as actor Adain Bradley about their work on ‘Tarot,’ adapting the source material, why the filmmakers enjoy the horror genre, Bradley’s character, working with Jacob Batalon, and putting together the rest of the cast.
Harriet Slater in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Moviefone: To begin with, Spenser, can you talk about your writing process with Anna?
Spenser Cohen: I would say our process of working together is something we’ve built over 15 years, and we’re at the point where we complete each other’s thoughts. It’s honestly like a one brain hive mind. For this specific idea, we knew we wanted to find a way to bring astrology and tarot to life in a way that no one had ever seen before. To do that, we had this idea of what if the cards came to life? When we had that? We’ve never seen that in a horror movie. It’s hard to find a way in. It’s hard to find your way into a new world. But that was it, what if the cards came to life? I think the best horror movies reflect the times that they’re made in, and this was written during the pandemic. I think it has some of the sensibilities of our social collective anxieties and looking for answers that weren’t there.
MF: Anna, can you talk about your process as a writer and the themes you wanted to explore with this movie?
Anna Halberg: I’ll also say we started writing this movie at the peak of Covid, and so it was a time when we saw a lot of our friends and our peers turning to astrology and tarot cards for answers because there just wasn’t a lot of clarity about the future. So, it was really at the forefront of our minds. Not only do we think it lends itself to being a great concept for a horror film, but it was something that a lot of our friends, like I said, and peers were really dabbling with. It’s a lot about fate versus free will, and that idea of are you in control of your destiny or is your fate written in the stars? So, that’s something that a lot of the characters grapple with, but it was also something that we saw a lot of people around us asking, thinking about, and questioning. So hopefully that’s reflected in the film.
Harriet Slater in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Spenser, what were the themes you wanted to explore with this movie as a director?
SC: I think movies must work on multiple levels. There must be a universal theme, and I think that’s what Anna’s talking about. Then there must be a personal theme in the movie. We have a character in the movie who’s, it’s basically a story about her conversation with death, and she had gone through a loss. So, it’s really a journey about why she turned to these things for answers and ultimately her quest to let go and seek hope from her situation.
MF: Adain, how would you describe your character in your own words?
Adain Bradley: I think it’s always tricky, especially in the horror genre, to play the skeptic, which is very much what I’m playing in the film. I think it was a very thin line because you don’t want to bring down the mood whilst playing the skeptic. That was very important to me. I think the first time I spoke to Anna and Spenser, I felt like we were all on the same page. It’s fun to play that line, and I think it creates more of an arc for my character in the movie when he must come to terms with the fact that maybe he wasn’t right and maybe things come to fruition that he didn’t believe was going to in the film. So that was kind of fun for me to play that within a group dynamic. Because I was the only contrarian in the group, and that was fun for me to play.
Jacob Batalon in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Adain, can you talk about the relationship between your character and Jacob Batalon’s character, and what was it like for you working with Jacob?
AB: Well, it’s funny because you never know when you walk into a group, not like anybody’s a bad person, but you don’t know if everybody’s going to get along. So, the first day I met him was first day of the table read and we walked in as instant friends. I was like, “I’m going to the gym tomorrow.” He was like, “Great, what time?” We gelled like that and we’re best mates. I mean, we almost speak every day still to this day. But to be honest, we were lucky with the whole cast. I know everybody says it, but there really wasn’t a weak link or someone that didn’t get on, which probably means that it was me. But I really consider Jacob to be one of my dearest friends. We met on that set on day one, and that makes me happy. Because it was one of those things, like in terms of lasting memories that I’ll take from that set. He’s going to be at my wedding. He’s that guy.
MF: Spenser, what was the casting process like for you and what were you looking for from these actors when casting?
SC: I think we were looking for a group of real friends, which again, we see a lot of movies and shows and sometimes you just don’t buy it. They don’t feel like your friends, and you almost feel like the moment someone says cut, they don’t want to talk to each other. We needed that. We knew it was like everything in this movie hinged on the group. If we care about them, we’re going to care about the journey. We’ll care about their lives being in jeopardy. We just got so lucky with this cast. They were genuine friends off-screen. So, when the moment we yelled action, we were just photographing great friends hanging out and you feel it.
Avantika Vandanapu in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Anna, can you talk about the importance of using practical effects over visual effects on a project like this?
AH: I think it’s always best for movies like this if you can, to have practical effects. We enhance things with visual effects as well. But like Aidan was saying earlier, to be able to react to something that’s in the space and with our budget and our schedule, you can’t do that many visual effects. We’re not trying to compete with Marvel. So having eight monsters, if we wanted something to look real and believable in the world, and be scary, we had to do it practically.
MF: Adain, as an actor, what do you enjoy about the horror genre?
AB: The stakes, right? That’s what makes it so fun. I think the job specifically of an actor in most genres is to almost ground yourself in a reality that feels realer than real. Even when you’re playing this as real as it gets, who’s ever in a situation like this? I love playing those stakes. I think it’s fun to do with other people, be in that heightened state. Everybody’s delirious, everything’s a night shoot, and you’ve got to turn it on and act like it’s the first time you’ve seen The Hangman or the first time you’ve seen The Fool. But I think it can be tiring. When you’re with people that you really love and people that get it, I think playing those stakes is the most fun to me. It’s a lot of work, but it’s the best work, especially when you see it on screen, it translates, and you elicit that response from people in the audience. You see it see on their face that they are terrified.
Avantika Vandanapu in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
MF: Finally, Spenser and Anna, as filmmakers, what do you love about the horror genre?
AH: Horror is one of those genres that really allows you to explore the psyche of the human mind. Like Spenser was saying too, it really reflects the times that you’re living in. So, it’s something that feels topical and relevant. There’s nothing more fun than going to a theater and going on this emotional rollercoaster and getting scared with a group of strangers in a dark room. So, it’s fun for us as viewers and moviegoers, but it’s also something that’s fun for us to make.
Avantika Vandanapu in ‘Tarot’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
SC: I think just to second that, Alfred Hitchcock has a quote about “Playing the audience. He’s the conductor and he is playing the audience.” I’m butchering that, but I’ve always really related to that feeling of creating something that’ll scare people. They’re all sitting in a room feeling the same emotion or feeling the same silence at the exact same time. I don’t think there’s anything more satisfying. I do think that horror is a great genre to talk about human emotions, the human condition, because it’s buried underneath all the other things. So, while you’re scared and you’re having fun, you’re going on a journey that you don’t know is there. I think it’s just the most satisfying genre for us as a player.
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What is the plot of ‘Tarot’?
The plot centers on a group of college friends who start dying in ways that are related to their fortunes after having their tarot cards read. Before their time runs out, they must work together to uncover the mystery.
Opening in theaters on January 12th, ‘Mean Girls’ is just the latest example of a movie that represents the latest evolution for a story that started as a novel, became a movie, transitioned to the Broadway stage for a musical and is now back on screens as a musical movie.
But as with every movie of this type –– see also the recent ‘The Color Purple’ –– the latest take has to make a convincing argument for it to exist in the first place. Why should audiences shell out more money to see a story they’ve previously experienced (and, in the case of ‘Mean Girls’ loved to endlessly quotable and meme-able levels) with the addition of different actors and a few songs?
‘Mean Girls’ exists in the shadow of the original, and it’s no easy job to follow what has long become known as a classic in the genre. Given the pressure to be a version of both the first film and the musical, you can understand why the new movie sometimes crumbles under that workload.
But fans will be relieved to know that if it doesn’t quite make the grade in every way, it at least serves as a successful comedy musical in its own right.
The new movie, on the writing front at least, represents the return of very experienced hands with Tina Fey –– who adapted Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 book ‘Queen Bees and Wannabes’, which documented female social cliques in high schools into 2004’s ‘Mean Girls’. It’s story of a young woman swapping far-flung homeschooling with her scientist parents for the wilds of an Illinois high school and ends up falling in with the most popular/vindictive girls at campus.
Fey’s original script is beloved, a classic high school comedy with more than one line that has entered the pop cultural consciousness. She was also behind the book for the stage musical version, while her husband and regular creative collaborator Jeff Richmond created the lyrics.
They’re both back for the new movie, which means that the tone and dialogue is certainly up to scratch. The one issue might be that the musical numbers, on purely a written front, can be hit and miss. And if you know the movie inside and out, that’s the only thing that will feel new besides one or two moments and ideas (Cady, for example, only has one parent in this version, played by Jenna Fischer).
Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. make their shared directorial debut with the movie, taking over for the original film’s Mark Walters. They do an adequate job of staging the musical numbers and having the songs replace elements such as Cady’s voice-over.
One or two of the songs here –– ‘Revenge Party’, ‘Stupid with Love’ –– work really well, while the others are fine but nothing to get people dancing in the aisles.
With Lindsay Lohan playing the original Cady, Angourie Rice has famous shoes to fill. And she does so well, giving this new version of a life of her own, while not going too far away from what fans expect from the character.
But that’s nothing compared to Reneé Rapp, who has to embody queen bee Regina George, as brought to life by Rachel McAdams in the original. Rapp is a fantastic Regina, having the benefit of playing the role on stage for several months. Which means she has a fully-formed take on the preening, scheming character. And when Regina suffers her downfall, she’s just as able to land those comedy turns.
Less effective are Bebe Wood, and Avantika Vandanapu as Gretchen and Karen, Regina’s sidekicks, though it’s no fault of the actors –– they’re mostly saddled with characters who feel like barely-tweaked versions of the original, and you have to wonder whether Fey and co. could have done more to make them stand out.
But if there’s one true MVP here, it’s Auliʻi Cravalho as the character of Janis, one of the “weird” kids that Cady initially befriends and who helps her get revenge on the “Plastics” led by Regina. Cravalho, best known previously as the voice of Moana in Disney’s animated movie, is superb here, breathing truly fresh life into the character and proving that she’s more than just a great voice performer.
‘Mean Girls’ certainly offers a solid level of entertainment, though that’s partly because the original is such a success. Fans of the film will find something new to enjoy, but for the most part, the pleasures come from revisiting what worked before, either on screen or stage.
And while the new movie isn’t a patch on the original, it does at least prove to be worthwhile.
‘Mean Girls receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Mean Girls?
Adapting the plot of the 2004 movie into musical form, ‘Mean Girls’ narrative feels familiar.
New student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) gets welcomed into the top of the social food chain by an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, she soon finds herself caught in their crosshairs.
