We’re obsessed with ReneĆ© Rapp’s revival of Regina George
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES
The pink garments in my wardrobe sure are having their moment in the sun thanks to the film industry. It started when we all dressed head to toe in the colour to go watch Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Next, I attended the Eras Tour film in my pinkest Lover Era outfit. And it seems the trend is going to continue into 2024, with the release of Tina Fey’s latest reimagining of the cult classic high school film.
I am of course talking about Mean Girls. The original film was released in 2004, it then became a musical that debuted in 2017 and made its way to Broadway the following year. And now, releasing in the US on 12 January 2024, we’ll get to see the story reimagined as a musical film.
The initial teaser trailer was released to show before Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film in cinemas (great marketing!) and, ever since, we have been eager for more. And now the first full-length trailer is here and there’s a lot to unpack. So, let’s dive in.
ReneĆ© Rapp’s reimagining of Regina Hall
Bisexual musician and actor ReneĆ© Rapp is stepping into Regina George’s (pink high-heeled) shoes for a second time. She originally portrayed the iconic antagonist in the Broadway musical, and we can’t wait to see her reprise the role in this reimagining.
In the trailer, she serves up big queer energy (here’s to hoping this version of Regina could be canonically queer) as well as big queen B energy. Her peers are afraid to look her in the eye and everyone is clearly obsessed with her.
“This isn’t your mother’s Mean Girls…”
As these words featured in the trailer, my fellow millennials and I let out a collective gasp as we fell into an existential spiral over the passing of time and how the world views us as potential mothers/fathers/parents now. We now know how our parents felt when reboots from their childhood and teen years were released.
There was no singing
We know it’s a musical. But there was no singing in the trailer, instead, it featured Gen Z’s pop princess Olivia Rodrigo’s Get Him Back! I’m not complaining, it was a vibe and suited the revenge element of the film. Also, not everyone loves musicals (can’t relate) so it’s a good way to grab their interest in the film. With that said, I hope they give us a teaser of the songs before release day.
We’re going to get a Jingle Bell Rock scene
Outside of it being a musical, there are plenty more changes from the original. But it looks like for those of us “mothers” who grew up falling asleep while rewatching the film, we’ll get to see revived versions of some of our favourite scenes. The trailer shows Cady’s unforgettable Halloween costume, the chewing gum scene and, most importantly (in my opinion), the Jingle Bell Rock scene.
These are just some of the highlights from the trailer. I’m sure there will be more excitement to come in the lead up. I for one cannot wait to revisit this iconic story.
Mean Girls will be released on 12 January 2024 in the US. A worldwide release date is TBC.
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