With Paramount releasing another Mean Girls movie in 2024, fans are left asking whether it is connected to the original. Is the latest movie a sequel, prequel, spinoff, or a remake of 2004’s Mean Girls? Here’s all you need to know.
Is Mean Girls (2024) a remake of 2004’s original movie?
No, 2024’s Mean Girls is not a direct remake of the original movie. It is a musical based on the Broadway show of the same name, which was adapted from the 2004 film.
2004’s original Mean Girls inspired a Broadway musical in January 2020, which became the source for 2024’s Mean Girls. Its producer Lorne Michaels confirmed that the film is not a remake. He told Entertainment Weekly in December 2023:
“It isn’t a remake, it’s a new interpretation. It feels like a familiar enough story, but it’s for today.”
Jaquel Spivey, who plays Damian in the 2024 take added to this saying:
“We love it so much that we’re going to make something fresh, because we can’t recreate it — it’s too iconic.”
Director Samantha Jayne also added:
“On set, we would say, ‘We want to uphold the sacred text,’ but also have it feel new and fresh because it is something different. It’s another take on it.”
So, we can be sure that the latest musical will offer a fresh take on the original story.
Is Mean Girls 2024 a sequel and connected to the original 2004 movie?
2024’s Mean Girls isn’t a direct sequel, but rather, a reimagination of the 2004 film with a modern-day cast and culture.
Tina Fey wrote both versions of the film and also reprises her role as Ms. Norbury along with Tim Meadows’ Principal Duvall. But as mentioned above, the latest musical is based on a Broadway show, which was inspired by the original movie. So, the 2024 version is not a sequel, but a standalone film set in the same franchise that just brings back two of the original characters in a new story. Other than that, it features an entirely new cast of actors.
For more Mean Girls updates, check out how much it is predicted to make at the box office. Also, learn why Rachel McAdams turned down the Mean Girls Reunion commercial.