Moving beyond the discussion of the landscape that “Mean Girls” has found itself in, it’s also important to consider how its run matches up to the original. “Mean Girls” 2004 is the quintessential millennial flick, aggressively quoted to this day in both social-media and in-person circles. Its cultural footprint is unmatched, and IP is king, so it makes perfect sense that Paramount was interested in remaking the flick. It found the perfect way to do so by adapting the popular musical, but the receipts don’t really stack up when you consider the monumental fandom of the original film.
“Mean Girls” 2004 was a solid success at the box office, grossing over $130 million worldwide against a budget of $18 million, a run that likely won’t be matched by the remake. In a world where “Mean Girls” is everywhere, the box office potential of the musical version has certainly been stunted. While it’s admirable that Tina Fey and co. decided to adapt the musical as opposed to just doing a plain remake, it’s clear from the box office stats and fan reception that many were stunned by that decision — especially because marketing didn’t convey what the film was doing.
A B CinemaScore is far from a death sentence, but it shows that the film is just average for most viewers (Looper gave “Mean Girls” a mediocre 6/10), riding on the coattails of the original. Currently, the “Mean Girls” remake stands at $66 million worldwide, but with momentum dropping like a brick, it’s hard to imagine it grossing over $85 million, let alone touching the $130 million cume of the original.
