Mean Girls Movie Musical Adds Girls5eva Star Busy Philipps

The 2004 fan-favorite teen comedy Mean Girls was turned into a Broadway stage musical in 2017, and it was announced last year that the production is being adapted as a film for Paramount+. The movie is set to star Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: Far From Home) as Cady, the role originated by Lindsay Lohan in the film, and will also feature Reneé Rapp (Sex Lives of College Girls) as Regina George, a role she also played on Broadway, as well as Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) as Janis, and Jaquel Spivey (Broadway's A Strange Loop) as Damian. Other cast members include Avantika (Senior Year), Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Bebe Wood (Love, Victor), and Tina Fey confirmed that she and Tim Meadows will both be featured in the new version. This week, it was also announced that The Office alum Jenna Fischer would be joining the musical, and she's not the only sitcom star on the roster. According to Deadline, Girls5eva star Busy Philipps has also been cast.  

Philipps is set to play Mrs. George, Regina George's mother. In the original film, the role was portrayed by Amy Poehler. "You know something? I really never have been a regular mom," Philipps shared on Instagram. Of course, "I'm not like a regular mom. I'm a cool mom," is Mrs. George's most famous line in the movie.

Will Paramount+ Make Changes To the Mean Girls Music? 

The Broadway show's music was created by Jeff Richmond who recently spoke with The Holywood Reporter about the upcoming film, and teased some changes to the Broadway songs.

"What we're trying to do [with the movie] is take the score that sounds like a Broadway score — in a good way — and [give] the movie a fresher palette," Richmond explained. "To make it sound more like stuff you want to listen to on Spotify, as opposed to when you're sitting eighth row center at a Broadway theater or the Pantages. It's kind of making it a fresher, younger take on the whole thing. We're kind of reinvented the music for the movie, so it's really fun."

Nadina Hassan, who plays Regina George in the touring version of the musical, added, "We're one of just a handful of girls who get to play these roles professionally and at this level, and that's such a blessing. Because now, when the movie comes out, what we've done will also get to be shared with so many other people who maybe weren't able to come see us on tour or weren't able to go see the Broadway cast. I always feel so lucky to just be a part of this legacy."

Stay tuned for more updates about the Mean Girls musical.