Fetch or Flop?
Out of the most iconic teen films of the early 2000s, one stands out due to its large impact on popular culture: “Mean Girls.” In addition to grossing over $130 million worldwide, this movie is still discussed all over social media and influences everything from fashion to everyday sayings (Box Office Mojo). The film centers Cady Heron, a girl who grew up homeschooled, and follows her journey in high school as she navigates polarizing cliques, fake friends and personal growth. Almost two decades after the film’s original release, the official trailer for the 2024 “Mean Girls” was released on Nov. 8. The film, directed by Samantha Jaybe and Arturo Perez Jr., is a movie adaptation of a Broadway musical version of “Mean Girls,” which is also based on the initial 2004 movie. The film is set to be released on Jan. 12, 2024, marking 20 years after the release of the original.
What sets this production apart from the 2004 film is the fact that this is a movie musical with choreography and songs. Though some fans are welcoming this new twist on the film, many find the marketing frustrating. As the trailer was released, viewers were puzzled because throughout the two-minute promotional video, there were a few choreographed dances but it included no singing, which is believed to hide any aspect of it being a musical. Similar to another anticipated film this year, “Wonka,” the promotions seem to hide the musical genre of what they are advertising to the public due to its polarizing nature. However, doing so may alienate both audiences: musical haters who hear about the theatrical elements from other sources and musical fans who are confused about the indecisive trailer marketing (Screen Rant). Senior Chloe Sohngen, who was part of Peninsula Drama’s production of the musical “Mean Girls” in March, was disappointed to find the songs were not included in the trailer.
“I was sad there was no singing [since] I thought there would be more musical numbers in the trailer,” Sohngen said. “[Creators of the film] want people to come to the movie and fewer people are fans of the musical, [even though] some of the songs are iconic. [Including some aspects of the musical] could have gotten more people interested in the movie.”
Upsetting viewers even further, the movie’s marketing seemed to discredit and outright disrespect the source material. The catchphrase included in the trailer: “This isn’t your mother’s ‘Mean Girls’” left fans of the original version unhappy; it seemed unnecessarily insulting since teens who watched the original Mean Girls would only be in their 30s. Many took to social media sites such as X, formally known as Twitter, and shared their opinions through disdainful memes and quips about the film. These included insults directed at the film’s fashion, disappointment with casting and in general how the new film would never live up to the original, which due to being released only 20 years ago is still ever-relevant and a strong piece of art on its own (New York Times). Advanced Placement Language and Composition teacher Magali Blazevic, who watched the original movie in theaters 20 years ago as an 18-year-old, recalls the film fondly. She believes the marketing strategy of the new film is ironic since this iteration of the film shares many aspects of the 2004 “Mean Girls;” as a result, she does not feel inclined to watch the movie.
“[The original film] was funny and on point with what everyone was going through at that time,” Blazevic said. “There are a lot of similarities between this [film] and the original, so saying ‘not your mother’s ‘Mean Girls’” is probably not the best catchphrase. It does not connect because it is the same exact thing [plotwise] they are redoing. I probably would not pay to watch it in theaters [because] it is basically the same thing and it is not high on my list to go see it at this point.”
Despite the controversies surrounding the film’s decisions in marketing, many fans are still excited about the release of the trailer for the 2024 “Mean Girls.” The modern interpretation and relatability of the franchise to teens today can potentially allow younger audiences to feel stronger connections with the film, similarly to how teens of the early 2000s felt about the original. The more contemporary aspects of the movie are evident in the pop song used in the trailer: “get him back!” by Olivia Rodrigo, a popular song and artist among Generation Z (Gen Z). This choice of soundtrack by the star, who is a part of Gen Z herself, instead of a song from the Broadway source material, could attract more teens to watch the movie. Furthermore, even small details such as the inclusion of laptops in classes may help younger viewers feel that this is still their story. Will 2024’s “Mean Girls” mean as much to teens today as the original resonated with youths at the time? Senior Bela Osorio, who was also part of the drama department’s musical production of “Mean Girls,” had initial qualms about how the musical element of the film would be executed. Nonetheless, she was still thrilled to see the trailer.
“Before watching [the trailer], I was scared because it is hard to recreate a really good movie,” Osorio said. “[However], I really [enjoy] the original and the musical so I had really high hopes for this movie. After watching the trailer, [while] I was confused why there was not any singing in it, I [was impressed by] the costumes and choreography, and it made me excited for the cast because I really like everyone in it. It just seems like a movie that is going to succeed.”
