Directed by husband-and-wife team Samantha Jayne and Arturo Pérez Jr., the 2024 version stars Reneé Rapp as “Plastic” director Regina George and Angourie Rice as her enemy Cady Heron, who falls under her spell. The film was originally slated for Paramount's streaming service, but after positive test screenings over the summer, the studio decided to bring the film to theaters. (Paramount went a similar route with “Smile” in 2022, a meme-generating horror film that grossed $106 million domestically, and “80 for Brady,” which the studio released last February.)
The decision to bring the film to theaters cost the studio about $20 million in marketing, mostly spent on online promotions. In addition to the TikTok stunt, Paramount partnered with Uber to offer free trips to the movies for teenage girls; an Instagram takeover with Auliʻi Cravalho, the actress reprising the role of Janis; special Snapchat lenses and filters; a YouTube video of teen heartthrob Chris Briney playing with puppies; and, most importantly, the placement of the trailer in front of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.”
“I feel like the team has had a very clear understanding of the different types of audiences they were trying to reach and where to find them,” Ms. Fey said. “My friend's daughter received a notification from Uber last Wednesday saying that teens will receive two free rides to 'Mean Girls' in theaters this weekend. And I thought, Wow, Paramount has been thorough.”
In fact, it was so thorough that the majority of people who attended the cinema were women, between 18 and 34 years old. The film didn't reach many older women, including those who probably saw the film when they were young. This, to Paramount's president of domestic distribution, suggests the film has room to grow.
“The population over 45 years old was only 7 percent. Only 10 percent were between 35 and 44 years old,” said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at Paramount. “So I think we have an opportunity here to serve that older audience.”
Weinstock, for his part, is confident that a wide range of ages will appear in the film. “They're fans of the franchise,” he said. “They see this and say, 'Oh, I love my 'Mean Girls.' This looks attractive.'”
