Alternative headline: Paramount Accidentally Reinvents Quibi
Happy Mean Girls Day to all who celebrate!
In observance of the date, Paramount Pictures launched an official account for “Mean Girls” on TikTok (at this link) — and has made the entire one hour, 47 minute film available for free on the platform, broken up into 23 clips.
The bio for the official “Mean Girls” TikTok account says, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.” Mean Girls Day has become popular among fans of the 2004 film because of a scene where Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett) asks Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) what day it is, and she replies, “It’s Oct. 3” — as shown in this clip.
If you prefer to watch movies the old-fashioned way, “Mean Girls” is currently available on Paramount+ and free to watch on YouTube with ads (as well as available to buy via digital video stores like Amazon and Apple iTunes). The TikTok account links out to Paramount’s website listing retailers that offer DVD, Blu-ray and digital versions of “Mean Girls” for purchase.
Co-starring and written by Tina Fey, “Mean Girls” stars Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese and Amy Poehler.
Here’s the synopsis of the cult-classic teen movie: After living in Africa with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lohan) must brave the wilds of high school where she is taken under the wing of the popular girls, The Plastics, led by the cool and cruel Regina George (McAdams). “What follows is a treasure trove of sharp, witty humor that defined a generation, inspired a hit Broadway musical and popularized countless catchphrases,” the studio says.
Paramount’s musical movie of “Mean Girls,” based on the Broadway adaptation, is set for theatrical release on Jan. 12, 2024 (after it was originally planned to debut on Paramount+). Reneé Rapp, Angourie Rice, Jaquel Spivey and Auli’i Cravalho star in the new movie, with Rapp reprising her turn as Regina George from the stage production.
That sounds like an awful way to watch a movie…
And yet…