Paramount’s take on new Mean Girls musical is tracking for a $30M debut at the domestic box office.
Set to hit screens in 3,800 North American theaters during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the film is expected to make a debut in the high $20 million range, according to studio projections. Achieving such ticket sales would be impressive, considering that the production cost of Mean Girls was only $36 million. Initially planned for release on Paramount+, the decision to screen the film in theaters came after positive responses from test screenings.
Adapted from the 2018 Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the 2004 film, which in turn is based on the 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabees, Mean Girls faces a creative challenge despite positive financial prospects according to early projections. Tina Fey, who also resumed her role as Ms. Norbury, returned to pen the screenplay.
The original Mean Girls film, featuring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried, is a culturally significant and widely quoted classic that not only bestowed timeless phrases but also made October 3, a celebrated national holiday.
Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. took on the directorial duties for new Mean Girls, featuring Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, and Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis ‘Imi’ike (formerly Ian). The film revolves around Cady Heron, formerly dubbed a ‘home-schooled jungle freak’ as she navigates the daunting landscape of high school cliques.
The movie theaters are set to stay lively during the holiday period with other notable newcomers. David Ayer’s action thriller, The Beekeeper, starring Jason Statham and produced by Amazon MGM, is anticipated to achieve a robust $17 million to $19 million over the four days. Meanwhile, Sony’s biblical comedic drama The Book of Clarence, is targeting a $7 million box office between Friday and Monday.
