‘Mean Girls’ Movie Musical At Paramount Adds Busy Philipps

EXCLUSIVE: Busy Philipps (Girls5eva) has joined Paramount’s musical move Mean Girls, based on the Tony-nominated Broadway show of the same name and the feature comedy that inspired it.

Philipps will play Mrs. George, the mother of Plastics leader Regina (Renée Rapp) — the role originated in the first Paramount film by Amy Poehler.

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The original feature, adapted by Tina Fey from the Rosalind Wiseman book Queen Bees and Wannabes, follows high school new girl Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) in her attempt to fit in with A-list girl clique, The Plastics. Its musical follow-up, also penned by Fey — with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin — hit Broadway in 2018.

The new film being made for Paramount+ will also star Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Christopher Briney, Bebe Wood, Fey, Tim Meadows and Jenna Fischer, as previously announced.

Arturo Perez and Samantha Jayne are directing from a script by Fey, with Broadway Video’s Lorne Michaels returning to produce alongside Fey. Erin David, Caroline Maroney and Micah Frank are overseeing for Broadway Video, with Eric Gurian and Jeff Richmond for Little Stranger. Kyle Hanagami is the pic’s choreographer.

Philipps currently stars alongside Sara Bareilles, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry and more in the comedy series Girls5eva, which will move from Peacock to Netflix for its third season. She won a Critics Choice TV Award for her supporting role opposite Courteney Cox on the ABC/TBS sitcom Cougar Town and has also been seen on series including HBO’s Danny McBride comedy Vice Principals, Dawson’s Creek, ER, and Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks.

The actress is best known on the film side for turns in rom-coms like He’s Just Not That Into You, Made of Honor and I Feel Pretty, having also appeared in Joel Edgerton’s STX/Blumhouse thriller The Gift and other titles. She also notably hosted her own late-night talk show Busy Tonight on E! from 2018-2019, additionally exec producing it alongside Fey.

Also a New York Times bestselling author, activist and writer, Philipps currently co-hosts the podcast Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best with creative partner Caissie St. Onge. She is repped by Range Media Partners and Gang, Tyre, Ramer.

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