Paramount’s “Mean Girls” musical made fetch happen after surpassing $100 million at the global box office.
The oh-so pink movie musical has generated $101.2 million worldwide after six weeks of release, including $71.2 million in North America and $30 million from 31 international territories.
Based on the Broadway adaptation of the 2004 comedy classic, “Mean Girls” was originally commissioned with plans to make a streaming debut directly on Paramount+, but executives opted for a theatrical release after enthusiastic test screenings. The musical film cost just $36 million.
“Mean Girls” held the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks after its release on Jan. 12, as well as earned No. 1 openings in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. The film expanded to Thailand on Feb. 15 and will open in Singapore and India later this month.
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The new “Mean Girls” stars Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, a role originated by Lindsay Lohan, who must navigate the social scene of her new high school ruled by the Plastics. Reneé Rapp reprises her Broadway role as queen bee Regina George, with a cast that also includes Christopher Briney, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Jaquel Spivey, Auli’i Cravalho and original stars Tim Meadows and producer-writer Tina Fey. Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. directed the film.
Following the movie’s initial release in January, Paramount shared data from exit polls that indicate 75% of audiences knew it was a musical before purchasing a ticket, while 16% left the theater “disappointed” by the genre.
Marc Weinstock, Paramount’s president of global marketing and distribution, spoke to Variety about the studio’s decision to downplay the song-and-dance numbers in promotional materials for “Mean Girls.”
“We didn’t want to run out and say it’s a musical because people tend to treat musicals differently,” Weinstock said. “This movie is a broad comedy with music. Yes, it could be considered a musical but it appeals to a larger audience. You can see in [trailers for] ‘Wonka’ and ‘The Color Purple,’ they don’t say musical either. We have a musical note on the title, so there are hints to it without being overbearing.”
