Here's Why 'Mean Girls' Wasn't Marketed As A Musical Movie Like 'The Color Purple'

"Mean Girls" is doing well at the box office after its successful opening weekend.

However, a conversation has sparked online after the film continues to shock moviegoers that it was actually a movie musical, rather than a remake of the 2004 cult-classic film.

'Mean Girls' Marketed As A Movie, Not A Movie-Musical

On social media, moviegoers are shocked to learn that the new "Mean Girls" film wasn't actually a remake of the 2004 film but is a movie musical adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical, based on the original flick.

According to Paramount Global Marketing President Marc Weinstock, there was a reason that not many knew about it as a movie musical - they didn't promote it as a movie musical. (via Yahoo!)

"To start off saying musical, musical, musical, you have the potential to turn off audiences," he revealed. "I want everyone to be equally excited."

Apparently, the entire movie musical marketing plan was planned carefully and laid out intricately.

Asked why Paramount "intentionally" avoided advertising it as a movie musical, Weinstock explained the reasoning:

"We didn't want to run out and say it's a musical because people tend to treat musicals differently. This movie is a broad comedy with music. Yes, it could be considered a musical but it appeals to a larger audience. You can see in [trailers for] "Wonka" and "The Color Purple," they don't say musical either. We have a musical note on the title, so there are hints to it without being overbearing."

Moviegoers have been expressing their sheer shock and disdain on social media through video clips while they were watching the film in theatres, realizing and discovering that the movie is in fact, a musical - proving that a large number of moviegoers do hate movie musical adaptations.

Weinstock added that the 2024 "Mean Girls" film is a "movie within the 'Mean Girls' world," and they "didn't want to distill it down to one thing, because it's not one thing."

'Mean Girls' Box Office Record

According to Variety, "Mean Girls" emerged victorious as the Queen of the box office after a triumphant long weekend debut. It raked in $32 million at the box office through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The film is already close to breaking even with its $36 million budget. Additionally, it raked in $6.5 million in international territories and is expected to rule another week and profit more in the coming weeks as it continuously gains buzz on social media.

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