The 8 biggest differences between the 2004 and 2024 versions of 'Mean Girls'

In the 2004 movie, Cady's parents (played by Ana Gasteyer and Neil Flynn) are research zoologists whose work took them to Africa for years. Cady starts school at North Shore High School in Illinois after her mom gets offered tenure at Northwestern University.

The new film makes no mention of Cady's dad or his whereabouts. Ms. Heron (Jenna Fischer) doesn't wear a wedding ring either. Still, without two present parents, the arc remains largely similar, with Cady's mom as a researcher in Africa who accepts a job at Northwestern.

In the original film, Tina Fey's character is newly single and broke from getting divorced. She works three jobs to make ends meet financially. She and Mr. Duvall (Tim Meadows), the principal, keep things professional, but they slow dance together at the spring fling.

In the new version, Ms. Norbury and Mr. Duvall are a couple. But it's not revealed until much later in the movie when Mr. Duvall gathers the junior girls in the gym after the Burn Book rumors cause riots at school.

Tony nominee Jaquel Spivey portrays Damian Hubbard, "Moana" star Auli'i Cravalho plays Janis 'Imi'ike, and Avantika Vandanapu is Karen Shetty.

Spivey told Entertainment Weekly that, naturally, there was some fear in taking on such an iconic character.

"But for me, how many chubby gay guys are on a screen and how much is that representation shown? I wanted to be a part of it," he said.

Cravalho, who is of Hawaiian descent, told Fandango that Janis' last name change was "a really wonderful touch of incorporating my culture into this new iteration of the character I get to play."

"Especially as a woman of color and a South Indian, I think we rarely get to see ourselves represented in a group of girls who are unanimously considered beautiful and popular and the epitome of glamour, even if it's just in a high school," Vandanapu told Entertainment Tonight.

Coach Carr, played in the remake by Jon Hamm, is still dimwitted and unqualified to teach teens about sexual health, though.

In the 2004 movie, Regina explains that they were best friends in middle school. Then, in the eighth grade, Regina started dating her first boyfriend, and Janis got "weirdly jealous." Regina then called Janis a lesbian, their moms got involved, and Janis dropped out of school before returning with a new attitude.

The dissolution of their friendship is more layered in the reboot.

In middle school, Janis came out as gay to Regina by putting a rainbow sticker on her stuffed animal. Regina, who had an identical toy, did the same as an act of allyship but later accused Janis of being obsessed with her. She bullied her so-called friend by taking her plushie around and showing it to everyone, calling it Sissy Liz, which was shorthand for "obsessed lesbian."

When Janis realized Regina was making fun of her, she torched the doll with a Bunsen burner. Regina's backpack was near the flame and caught on fire, leading to Janis getting kicked out of school. This is why Janis is labeled a "pyro-lez" in the remake's version of the Burn Book, as opposed to the lesbophobic slur that's used in the original movie.

In the original movie, Janis' three-step plan to take down the queen bee involves getting Aaron to break up with Regina, ruining her "hot body," and getting the Plastics to turn on her.

When Cady becomes close to Regina to carry out Janis' plan, her popularity at school grows by association. Her social status increases at the winter talent show when she sings "Jingle Bell Rock" acapella after a glitch with the music throws the Plastics off. This leads to Cady getting nominated for spring-fling queen.

Cady also inadvertently becomes the leader of the Plastics for a brief time after Gretchen and Karen tell Regina that she can't sit with them because she's broken their dress code.

The remake weaves social media into the narrative, showing how modern-day bullying and gossiping occur online.

Students turn on Regina after she tumbles onstage during the Plastics' performance at the winter talent show. People in the audience document her public humiliation on their phones, then post it online and mock her even more.

They also become fans of Cady after noting that she was the only one who tried to salvage the performance. And on a more shallow note, they've finally realized that Cady is attractive.

In both versions of "Mean Girls," Regina's classmates treat her differently when she gains weight from eating Kalteen bars.

In the "Mean Girls" film that starred Lindsay Lohan, Cady and Aaron kiss during a tutoring session — even though he's technically still dating Regina. Cady blurts out that Regina's been cheating on him, and Aaron breaks up with her off-camera.

In the musical remake, Aaron offers to tutor Cady after she purposely starts failing in AP calculus, but the audience never sees it happen on-screen.

After Cady learns that Regina intentionally gave her a pair of stilettos to mock her, she tells Aaron about Regina's unfaithfulness, and he catches her making out with Shane Oman in a janitor's closet.

Cady also fantasizes about being with Aaron during musical numbers like "Revenge Party," but they don't kiss until the spring fling after she makes amends with everyone at school.

After Cady makes amends with everyone at the spring fling, the 2004 "Mean Girls" skips ahead a few months to her senior year. The Plastics have broken up, Regina's on the lacrosse team, and Cady is still friends with Janis and Damian, but her social circle isn't limited to a particular clique. Finally, girl world is at peace.

The 2024 version of the movie caps off the story at the spring fling, showing everyone mingling with different cliques on the dance floor after Cady's sincere speech and apology onstage.