“Mean Girls” came out in 2004 and quickly became a hit.
The movie revolves around the queen of The Plastics, Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams, who rules the school. That is until Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) comes along and begins to threaten George’s power within her clique.
The movie has been watched by new generations since its original release. It has become so popular, it even has its own day, Oct. 3, derived from one of the movie’s most famous lines.
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Below are fun facts about “Mean Girls” you may not have known.
- A new “Mean Girls” movie came out 20 years after the original
- The movie was written by Tina Fey, who also stars in the film
- The storyline was inspired by a nonfiction book
- Oct. 3 has become known as “Mean Girls” Day
- Amy Poehler was “a cool mom” and a young one
- Rajiv Surendra was able to nail his rap with the help of Fey and Poehler
- The cast of the movie could have looked very different
- The original cut of the movie was a lot more vulgar than the final cut
1. A new “Mean Girls” movie came out 20 years after the original
Twenty years after the original film, a second rendition of “Mean Girls” hit theaters.
The 2024 version of “Mean Girls” is based on the Broadway musical. While it does share similarities to the original film in its characters and plot, the music in the film differs greatly from the original version.
The 2024 film stars nearly an entirely different cast, including Reneé Rapp as George and Angourie Rice as Heron.
There were some actors who returned to their roles for the 2024 film, such as Tina Fey and Tim Meadows.
2. The movie was written by Tina Fey, who also stars in the film
“Mean Girls” was written by Fey, who plays teacher Ms. Norbury in the film.
The comedian was mainly known for her work on “Saturday Night Live” at the time. She worked with “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels on “Mean Girls.”
The movie was directed by Mark Waters, who had worked with Lohan on “Freaky Friday.”
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3. The storyline was inspired by a nonfiction book
Although it may not seem like it while watching the funny film, “Mean Girls” was actually based on a nonfiction book.
The book that inspired “Mean Girls” was “Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence.”
The book was written in 2002 by Rosalind Wiseman.
4. October 3 has become known as “Mean Girls” Day
Oct. 3 has become a day to celebrate the movie due to a classic line in the film.
When Heron talks to her crush and former boyfriend of George in the film, Aaron Samuels, he asks her what day it was, to which she responds, “It’s Oct. 3.”
This scene is short, yet memorable.
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Many who haven’t seen the entire film are familiar with this clip. Now, Oct. 3 is known to be “Mean Girls” Day.
5. Amy Poehler was “a cool mom” and a young one
Amy Poehler plays the “cool mom” of George in “Mean Girls.”
In real life, Poehler wasn’t much older than her on-screen daughter.
In fact, there is only a seven-year age gap between Poehler and McAdams.
6. Rajiv Surendra was able to nail his rap with the help of Fey and Poehler
The “Jingle Bell Rock” performance wasn’t the only one that stole the show.
The rap by Kevin Gnapoor (Kevin G), played by Rajiv Surendra, was also a showstopper thanks to Fey and Poehler, who helped him knock it out of the park.
For Fey and Poehler, this rap was important to the movie, and they played a big role in helping Surendra get it right. There’s even a video that circulated online of Poehler attempting the rap herself, with Fey and Lohan in the background.
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7. The cast of the movie could have looked very different
It’s hard to picture anyone else playing the key characters in “Mean Girls,” but the cast could have looked very different.
The role of George was a hot commodity, as Amanda Seyfried and Lohan both went for the character before landing their respective roles of Karen Smith and Heron.
Blake Lively was almost a gossip girl and a mean girl. She was a top choice to play Smith during the casting process.
“I’d flown out to LA for the first time with my mother. It was very exciting,” Seyfried told Vanity Fair in an interview. “I met Lacey Chabert for the first time, and Lindsay Lohan was in the room. And Blake Lively was playing Karen, and then I was Regina.”
Ultimately, Lively did not land the part, and Seyfried ended up playing Smith. Ashley Tisdale was another who auditioned for the movie.
8. The original cut of the movie was a lot more vulgar than the final cut
“Mean Girls” is a movie that preteens enjoy, but it was originally not made for a young audience.
While it still has elements that give it a PG-13 rating, it was originally given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America.
There were scenes in the original cut that were a lot more vulgar than in the final, including a lot more swearing by McAdams’ character.
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