Get lost ‘Butterfly and Hummingbird Day’, 3 October is Mean Girls Appreciation Day, and this year to honour the occasion Paramount Pictures has uploaded the 1-hour-and-47-minute film onto TikTok in 23 bite-sized clips.
The new, official Mean Girls TikTok account has been created just for this purpose, and it’s where you’ll find the film so you can start watching. That’s so fetch!
@meangirls It’s #October3rd. #MeanGirlsDay ♬ Mean Girls is available on Digital – Mean Girls
Meme girls
This iconic film, starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, and Amy Poehler, was a cinematic sensation upon release and has since become a cultural phenomenon.
Read: Love is in the Air with Delta Goodrem hits number 2 globally for Netflix
Written by the inimitable Tina Fey, Mean Girls follows Cady Heron (Lohan) as she navigates the treacherous terrain of high school after years spent in Africa with her zoologist parents. She soon falls in with the popular clique, The Plastics, led by the cool and ruthless Regina George (McAdams). The result is a treasure trove of sharp, witty humor that left an indelible mark on a generation, inspired a hit Broadway musical and gave us a host of unforgettable catchphrases and memes.
From an economic perspective, the decision to upload Mean Girls to TikTok for free may not make a lot of sense. But given that Paramount is gearing up for the theatrical release of Mean Girls: The Musical Movie in January 2024, it’s easy to see why the move was made.
Initially slated for a debut on Paramount+, the eagerly anticipated adaptation of the Broadway sensation Mean Girls: The Musical heads to cinemas next year, promising to bring ‘fresh energy’ to the franchise. The film stars Reneé Rapp, Angourie Rice, Jaquel Spivey, and Auli’i Cravalho, with Reneé Rapp reprising her role as Regina George from the stage production.
Read: Melbourne Queer Film Fest takes a historic lens to queerness
But wait … do writers get residuals from TikTok streams?
As reported in Time, it is currently unclear if or how residual pay is given from content shared by studios and streamers on social media. Residuals are essentially money paid to those who created a show when that show is re-watched. But the move to put movies up for free on TikTok and other social media sites has some writers worried as it may offer a way to avoid paying those residuals.
For those who prefer the traditional movie-watching experience, Mean Girls is still available on Paramount+. Additionally, you can purchase it through digital video stores like Amazon and Apple iTunes.
To start watching Mean Girls on TikTok, head to the official Mean Girls account.
