In 2004 an American teen comedy took the world by storm. I am, of course, talking about Mean Girls, that icon movie that propelled its cast into stardom.
Written by Tina Fey and starring Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lizzy Caplan, Mean Girls is loosely based on Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book, Queen Bees and Wannabes.
Costing only $17 million to make, the film generated over $130 million worldwide and even spawned its own broadway musical which debuted in 2017.
So if you want to watch Mean Girls for the first time, or simply fancy a trip down memory lane, here is where can can stream it today.
Where To Stream Mean Girls
It doesn't matter which country you live in, Mean Girls is available on a number of streaming platforms.
United States: There are two streaming options to watch Mean Girls in the US.
They are Paramount+ and Pluto TV (with ads). If you do not subscribe to either of those platforms, you can rent the film on Apple TV+, Amazon, Direct TV or Google Play.
United Kingdom: If you live in the UK you have two options to watch Mean Girls. That is on either Paramount + or SKY.
Like the US, Mean Girls is available to rent in the UK with options including Amazon, Apple TV+, or Chili.
Canada: Canadians have a few options for Mean Girls which is available to stream on Paramount+, Crave or Starz.
If you don't subscribe to any of them, you can rent it on Cineplex, Apple TV+ and Amazon.
Australia: A few streaming options for Australians who want to watch Mean Girls. Amazon Prime, STAN and Foxtel Now include it in their subscriptions.
If you don't use those apps, then you can rent it on Fetch, Telstra, Amazon and Apple TV+.
France: Mean Girls is only available on Amazon Prime Video in France. You can also rent it from Orange, YouTube, Apple TV+ and Canal VOD.
Brazil: Meninas Malvadas is available on Amazon Prime Video, Globo Play and Now Online in Brazil. You can watch it for free if you subscribe to those streaming platforms.
Ireland: In Ireland you can watch the film on Paramount+ or Sky Cinema only. Otherwise, you have to rent it on Apple TV+, Rakuten or the Sky Store.
Sweden: If you're in Sweden and have Amazon Prime Video or Viaplay, then you can watch Mean Girls as part of your account.
What Is Mean Girls About?
Cady Heron (Lohan) is a fish out of water. Having been homeschooled by her parents in Africa, she gets her first taste of high school when attends North Shore High School.
Her new friends warn her to stay away from the Plastics, the A-list, popular and beautiful clique headed by Regina George (McAdams) with Karen (Seyfried) and Gretchen (Chabert).
But when Cady falls for Aaron Samuels (Regina's ex-boyfriend), she brings on the wrath of Regina, who decides to take revenge.
Not to be beaten so easily, Cady, Janis, and Damian plot to bring Regina down. However, the more time Cady spends with the Plastics, the more she starts to become one of them.
What happens? Find out when you watch Mean Girls…
How Old Was The Cast Making Mean Girls?
These days it's fairly common to see much older actors play the roles of high school teens. But was it much different in 2004?
In Mean Girls, all of the characters are around 16 years old. Lindsay Lohan was 18 years old when she was cast as Cady Heron.
Rachel McAdams was much older when she took on the role of Regina George. She was actually 26 years old when the movie was released.
Lacey Chabert was 22 years old playing Gretchen Wieners, and Amanda Seyfriend was 18 years old playing ditzy Karen Smith. That was also her film debut.
Why Is Mean Girls Not On Netflix?
Over time movies come and go from Netflix and at some point, Mean Girls was on Netflix.
However, it was made by Paramount Pictures in 2004, and they still own the rights to it. So when Paramount+ was launched, the movie automatically started streaming on that platform.
If you can't stream it for free in your country, try our list of movies like Mean Girls to keep you entertained instead.
Mean Girls Cast Members – Where Are They Now?
Lindsay Lohan
Lohan plays Cady Heron, a 16-year-old girl who transfers to a public high school after being homeschooled her whole life in Africa.
In real life, Lindsay has had her fair share of personal issues, most of which have been documented by other publications.
In terms of her career, things had been quiet for a few years until she was cast as the lead in the Netflix Christmas romcom, Falling for Christmas, which was a huge hit on the platform in December 2022.
She has just completed filming for another Netflix movie, Irish Wish, alongside Ed Speleers and Jane Seymore, which is scheduled for release in 2023.
Rachel McAdams
McAdams shot to fame in her big screen debut, playing the role of Regina George, a rich, popular mean girl and leader of The Plastics.
She is a multi-talented actress who has had an amazing career and has starred in many critically acclaimed films such as The Notebook and Spotlight.
Her most iconic role to date is in the fan-favorite romantic drama, The Time Traveler's Wife and since then she has gone on to act in various movies and television shows, including the critically acclaimed True Detective season two.
Most recently, she can be seen in the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga as well as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. From comedic roles to dramatic ones, Rachel McAdams continues to make a name for herself with her amazing talent and diverse body of work.
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert is an accomplished and versatile actress who has enjoyed a successful career spanning over two decades. She first gained recognition for her breakout performance in the hit film Mean Girls, where she played the iconic character Gretchen Wieners.
Since then, Lacey has starred in over 30 Hallmark Channel films and in September 2022, launched her own apparel line with home shopping television network HSN called the “Lacey Chabert Collection”.
She married her longtime boyfriend, David Nehdar, in December 2013 and gave birth to their daughter Julia in September 2016.
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried is an acclaimed actress who has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade.
She made her big screen debut in the 2004 hit movie Mean Girls as Karen Smith, and went on to star in numerous films such as Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables, and Love the Coopers.
Most recently, she can be seen in the Netflix thriller Things Seen & Heard and the hit HULU mini-series, The Dropout.
With many more projects on the horizon, Amanda Seyfried remains a highly sought-after talent who will continue to make her mark in Hollywood with her outstanding performances.
Lizzy Caplan
In Mean Girls, Caplan plays Janis Ian, a rebellious goth who befriends Cady and hatches a plan to take down Regina. It was a role that catapulted her to fame.
Caplan is now an Emmy-nominated actress who has accrued an impressive amount of work in her two-decade long career. She has gone on to star in various films such as Cloverfield and The Disaster Artist.
You can also watch her in Apple TV's Truth Be Told alongside Octavia Spencer, in the hit show Fleishman Is in Trouble and will also star in the upcoming remake of Fatal Attraction on Paramount+.
With many more projects lined up, Lizzie is one of Hollywood's most talented actresses and continues to captivate audiences around the world.
Tina Fey
Fey plays Ms. Sharon Norbury, the school Math teacher in Mean Girls but her career started long before that.
The actor, writer, producer, and comedian rose to fame in the late 1990s after co-anchoring NBC's Weekend Update. She also had a major recurring role in NBC's 30 Rock and starred in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which earned her four Emmy nominations.
She is currently filming Mean Girls Musical and A Haunting in Venice and continues to delight audiences around the world with her singular wit and humor.
Diego Klattenhoff as Shane Oman, who has an on-and-off relationship with Regina. Since appearing in the film, Klattenhoff has gone on to star in hit tv shows like Homeland and The Blacklist.
He is currently working on the upcoming drama series Shadowplay which follows the story of a young man who discovers he has supernatural powers which leads him on a thrilling journey of discovery with filming expected to begin later this year.
Supporting Cast In Mean Girls
Daniel Franzese play Damian Leigh, Janis' gay best friend. In real life Franzese is an actor, activist, and writer and on television he has had recurring roles on series such as Recovery Road and Shameless.
Amy Poehler plays June George, Regina's mother. She is an American actress, writer, producer and comedienne best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation.
She has written books such as Yes Please and works to promote female empowerment through her organisation Smart Girls. She also co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy theater in New York City.
Jonathan Bennett as Aaron Samuels, Regina's ex-boyfriend and Cady's love interest. He may have been the guy they fought over, but in real life Bennett is gay and married to his husband Jaymes Vaughan since 2022.
In 2018 he released the cookbook called ‘The Burn Cookbook' with celebrity chef Nikki Martin and has also hosted various shows such as Cake Wars, Halloween Wars and Sugar Showdown.
Ana Gasteyer plays Betsy Heron, Cady's mother. She is an actress and singer best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live and Suburgatory and teamed up with Fey and Poehler in the hit Netflix film, Wine Country.
She received a Grammy nomination for her performances in Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz and often performs as part of the cabaret group Sisters of Swing alongside fellow SNL alumnae Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph.
Neil Flynn plays Chip Heron, Cady's father. Flynn is an actor and comedian best known for his roles as “The Janitor” on the long-running TV sitcom Scrubs and as Mike Heck in The Middle.
Daniel DeSanto plays Jason, Gretchen's unfaithful boyfriend. He best known for his role as Tucker in the TV series The Zack Files and also appeared in films such as Cheaper By the Dozen and Joey, Gigi and Nate.
He currently resides in Los Angeles where he continues to work primarily in television and film projects.
Why Do The Plastics Wear Pink In Mean Girls?
The Plastics – the group of popular girls in school – are always seen wearing pink. This is done to show their strong attachment to their clique.
Pink symbolizes femininity, power, and beauty – traits that all The Plastics have in spades.
Additionally, by wearing the same color, they solidify their bond and stand out from other students at school.
Wearing pink also signals to others that The Plastics are uncompromisingly part of a single group and should be feared or respected accordingly.
Mean Girls Musical Film
Like Matilda before it, Mean Girls became a movie that became a hit Broadway show which then spawned a musical film.
So what do we know about Mean Girls Musical? Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr will direct it with Tina Fey writing the script and Nell Benjamin in charge of the music side of things.
The cast is impressive with Angourie Rice playing the role of Cady Heron (originally Lindsay Lohan's role), Reneé Rapp playing Regina George, Bebe Wood playing Grethen Weiners and Avantika playing Karen Smith.
Auli'i Cravalho will play Janis Ian with Tim Meadows and Tina Fey reprising their roles as Principal Duval and Ms. Norbury.
Filming is still underway so we can expect to see the latest instalment of the franchise in 2024 – or maybe the end of 2023 if we're really lucky!
With regards to what the movie is about, well, that's self-explanatory. It's a remake based on the musical adaptation of the original film.
Tina Fey did consider directing the film herself but opted out when she decided directing didn't suit her and that some people were more naturally inclined for the job.
The original Broadway cast were considered for the roles in the movie but given the time that has past between the two jobs, they were deemed too old.
Interestingly, Tim Meadows is the sole cast member to appear in every Mean Girls film, having portrayed the character of Mr. Duvall in the original movie, the made-for-television sequel, Mean Girls 2, and once more in the musical adaptation.
Did You Know…?
- Amy Poehler, who plays Mrs. George, is only seven years older than her on-screen daughter, Rachel McAdams (Regina George).
- Amanda Seyfried was initially supposed to play Cady, but producer Lorne Michaels thought she would be better as the “dumb girl.”
- Initially, Lindsay Lohan was cast as Regina, but wanted to play the “nice girl” so the audience would not base her real personality on Regina's.
- Cady's mom gets tenure at Northwestern, which is Ana Gasteyer's alma mater in real life.
- Scarlett Johansson tested for the role of Karen Smith!
- Even though they are best friends in real life, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler never have any dialogue together in the movie.
- She may have received 12th billing in the credits, but Amanda Seyfried's screen time is much more than most of the actors that are billed above her.
Mean Girls Movie Lawsuit 2023
It may be 20 years since Mean Girls (2004) made its way to the big screen, but now Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes, the basis for the cult-classic, says Tina Fey and studio haven't paid her for franchise success. And she is considering legal action.
In 2002 she sold her film rights for $400,000. Despite giving up all rights to adaptations such as TV shows, musicals, and original motion pictures, Wiseman's agreement entitled her to residual gains based on the success of the film at the box office.
However, she alleges that the studio has asserted that they have not made any net profits and have accumulated excessive expenses, leaving no revenue to distribute to her.
Speaking to the New York Post in March 2023, Wiseman said “Yes, I had a terrible contract, but the movie has made so much money, and they keep recycling my work over and over again, so to not even consider me, the hypocrisy is too much.”
She added, “Over the years Tina's spoken so eloquently about women supporting other women, but it's gotten increasingly clear to me that, in my own personal experience, that's not going to be the experience.”
So does Wiseman have a legitimate claim? Mean Girls grossed over $130 million at the box office. It then spawned a highly successful Broadway musical in 2017 and now THAT musical is being turned into another movie.
Either way, no lawsuit has yet been filed and Wiseman's lawyers have simply stated “My client is reviewing all of her options, up to and including litigation.”
