For the musical remake of the
beloved 2004 comedy Mean Girls, director Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne
returned to high school, quite literally. The film was filmed on location at a
closed all-girls Catholic school in New Jersey. Instead of traditional
trailers, the cast, including Rene Rapp, Angourie Rice, Tina Fey, Auli’i
Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey, used partitioned-off classrooms, production
offices were set up in homeroom, and the COVID compliance team established
themselves in the old nurse’s office.
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| 'Mean Girls' stars Avantika, Renee Rapp, Angourie Rice, Bebe Wood |
"We aimed to create a camp-like atmosphere," Perez shared with The Hollywood Reporter about the set-up. "Especially with the considerable pressure they felt from the cultural zeitgeist. We wanted to maintain a safe, happy, and positive environment."
The pressure associated with the
project arises from the challenge of re-imagining the cherished comedy penned
by Tina Fey. The original, starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, swiftly
gained cult classic status with instantly recognizable one-liners. It follows
teenager Cady as she transitions from homeschooling in Kenya to a traditional
American high school, where she becomes part of the popular clique known as
"the plastics." The 2024
version is based on the Broadway musical adaptation of the film.
Making their feature debut with Mean Girls, Perez and Jayne, who have a significant background in music videos, spoke to THR about the process of remaking the comedy, integrating iPhones into the movie, and even entertaining the idea of casting Harry Styles as Glen Coco.
How did you come on to the project?
SAMANTHA JAYNE: Tina’s
producing partner approached us, intrigued by our interpretation of the script
after seeing [FX series] Quarter Life Poetry. It's interesting because,
initially, I didn't see the connection between Quarter Life Poetry and Mean
Girls. However, as we delved into it, we realized it's about bringing the inner
world of a girl to the forefront and visually experiencing her inner reality.
So we thought, "Oh, actually, this
does make sense."
ARTURO PEREZ JR.: Once we
cracked this approach, everything started to click in our minds. In the
original construction of the Broadway play, Damian and Janice (played in the
movie by Cravalho and Spivey) serve as narrators. We thought, well, if they're the
narrators, what if they're also the directors, and this is their film? We
wanted it to feel like they were the directors of the movie, and we wanted
their unique artistic perspective to be evident.
JAYNE: All the ideas stemmed from there. If they truly are the directors, and they're 16 with limited resources, how would they bring a group of kids together to tell the story? They would involve the school band, the choir girls, and dancers, creating a recurring ensemble throughout the film, almost like a Greek chorus.
The movie incorporates phone
screens and social media. What was the thinking behind this?
AYNE: We
approached the incorporation of phone screens and social media in several ways.
We didn't want to portray it solely as violent bullying and negativity but
instead explore the diverse ways kids utilize their phones. In today's high
school culture, Gen Z and students are creators; they produce their own films
using their phones.
We aimed to speak this language and capture the fluidity of moving the camera, much like one would handle an iPhone. There were numerous discussions about finding the right balance. We didn't want to overuse phones or include them just for the sake of acknowledging, "Hey, we know you kids use phones!" Instead, we wanted their presence to propel the story forward.
Gen Z social media has its own
unique language and visual style. Did you do research ahead of filming?
PEREZ: I stayed in touch with my high school theater teacher, who had a significant impact on my life. I proposed going back to talk to the kids, engaging in acting exercises, trading monologues, and asking them questions. Initially, they were reserved, offering expected responses, likely what they share with their parents. However, after three days, they opened up, sharing the authentic experience. That's what this movie aims to convey – the genuine feeling of these high school moments.
JAYNE: You tend
to forget what it's like once you're out of high school. During our three-day
workshop, there was this one girl who was lively and bright, but suddenly she
was in tears. I thought, "Something
must have happened at home." When I asked, she said, "My boyfriend broke up with me." I
thought, man, that can ruin your entire day.
PEREZ: Your
entire month!
JAYNE: It's these significant emotions that we wanted to treat seriously. The movie is undoubtedly fun and comedic, but we aimed to validate the authentic feelings of young women because, in my opinion, it's not portrayed with enough respect, especially cinematically.
How did you decide what to keep
from the original film?
JAYNE: There's a
type of comedy that was funny and acceptable 20 years ago but doesn't work
today. We were all aware of that. However, there are certain iconic lines where
we joked that there would be riots if they weren't included, like "You go, Glen Coco!" Give the people
what they want. Give me what I want! But then we thought, "Who's Glen
Coco?"
PEREZ: Who could
it be? I remember us thinking, could we ask someone like Harry Styles?
JAYNE: We were like, Harry Styles could be Glen Coco! Then we thought, hold on, we love breaking the fourth wall: What if we are all Glen Coco? So, after 20 years, we can all feel like Glen Coco. [Editor’s note: The line is delivered straight to the camera, as if the audience is Glen Coco.]
What were the songs in the movie
that you each, personally, felt you had to get right?
JAYNE:
"Revenge Party." Some songs deepen the character, and some move the
story along. This one does both. It spans three months of the school year,
starting with Cady being innocent and ending with her getting comfortable being
a "plastic."
PEREZ: For me, because I strongly identify with Janice, it's "I'd Rather Be Me." It encapsulates the film's message, and it's such a powerful one. Janice, who sings it, would be very critical, ensuring everything is just right. It's all one take, and it had to be because Janice would say, "Follow me, and don't you dare cut."
JAYNE: It
required a lot of rehearsal. Due to the tight schedule, everything needed to be
pre-planned. We shot everything on our phones beforehand. It was us, our DP,
and our assistant acting out the entire movie. Our first AD, Colin, an Irish
guy from Boston, stood in for Cady.
