Naman Shrestha
Based on the eponymous Broadway musical, which was adapted from the 2004 comedy film of the same name, ‘Mean Girls’ is a musical teen comedy movie helmed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. that follows Cady Heron, a new student at North Shore High School, who surprisingly gets welcomed into the group of popular girls called “The Plastics.” The group is led by Regina George and her two minions — Gretchen and Karen. However, starting off on the right foot doesn’t mean things can’t get complicated after a while. So is the case with Cady as she ends up falling for the clique’s leader’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels.
When she becomes Regina’s rival, Cady attempts to go head-to-head against her with the help of her outcast friends Janis and Damian. While the musical and theatrical performances of the cast members, including Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Christopher Briney, Auli’i Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey, keep the viewers entertained, the iconic setting of the North Shore High School makes one curious about the actual shooting locations.
Where Was Mean Girls (2024) Filmed?
Shooting of ‘Mean Girls’ extensively took place in the state of New Jersey, which is a part of the Mid-Atlantic as well as Northeastern regions of the country. The production was carried out in several locations across the state, specifically in Monmouth County, North Arlington, Woodbridge Township, and Florham Park. According to reports, filming commenced in March of 2023 and concluded after a few weeks in April of the same year. Let’s traverse through all the sites that appear in the backdrop of the teenage movie.
Monmouth County, New Jersey
After scouring through many locations in New Jersey, the production team of ‘Mean Girls’ finally settled on Monmouth County in the east-central part of the state to undertake a major chunk of the shooting. For the purpose of filming, the cast and crew visited Middletown Township in the northern side of the county. In particular, Mater Dei Preparatory School, located at 538 Church Street in the unincorporated community of New Monmouth in Middletown Township actually doubled up as the iconic North Shore High School in the film. The majority of the exterior as well as interior sequences were taped in this former Catholic coeducational high school which closed down permanently in 2022.
Lying within the New York metropolitan area, Monmouth County is a popular destination and is flocked with tourists around the year. Also renowned as one of the “meccas for boating and fishing,” the county has a stunning coastline and offers breathtaking views of the natural landscape, which comprises vast stretches of gorgeous sandy beaches such as Ocean Grove, Sea Girt, and Spring Lake.
Aside from scenic natural attractions, it is also known for its wineries, golf courses, parks, historic sites, rich dining scene, favorable climate, as well as vibrant and friendly neighborhoods that make it an ideal filming destination for a movie like ‘Mean Girls.’ Moreover, titles like ‘That Touch of Mink,’ ‘The Weekend,’ ‘Chasing Yesterday,’ and ‘Fans Anonymous,’ also utilized the locales of Monmouth County to complement the setting.
Other Locations in New Jersey
Aside from Monmouth County, filming of the musical drama film was also conducted in other areas of The Garden State. To be precise, a residential property in the neighborhood of Colonia of Woodbridge Township in northern Middlesex County served as a shooting site for a few sequences of the film. The cast and crew also visited a landfill in the borough of North Arlington in Bergen County to record a few scenes. In addition, the borough of Florham Park in Morris County is also where a minor portion of the shooting of ‘Mean Girls’ took place.
In the aforementioned county, the production team also visited the premises of Saint Elizabeth University, which is a Catholic coeducational liberal arts university in Morris Township, in order to shoot the Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. directorial. Over the years, many movies and television shows have been shot in New Jersey. Apart from the 2004 original film of the same name, some of the other popular projects that were lensed in the state are ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Across the Universe,’ ‘Annie,’ ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch,’ and ‘School of Rock.’
