Mean Girls on TikTok, a mistake?

“On October 3, he asked me what day it was.” It’s the day Paramount made a mistake.

Earlier today, it was announced that Paramount has released it’s cult classic film, ‘Mean Girls,’ on TikTok for free. As a poor-recent graduate who’s trying to enjoy life but also find ways to save money, this sounds great.

As a person who (1) cares about the livelihood of people, and (2) is learning about the business of film-making, I don’t believe this is a smart-move for Paramount.

‘Mean Girls’ was released in April 2004 and grossed over $130mil during its theatrical release. It’s a beloved comedy because it delves into the inner workings of high school social dynamics and drama, something that most everyone has an understanding of. There’s even a musical adaptation being released on January 12, 2024 because of how popular the film is.

Naturally, any good production studio would want to promote and drive hype for upcoming releases. Social media and influencer-marketing are great at doing so. TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to post short-form video content (which eventually get reshared as Instagram reels.) According to Wallaroo, there are about 1.1 billion monthly active users on TikTok (80 million come from the U.S. alone). Based on age, 60% of those users are between the ages 16-24. Based on gender, 60% of U.S. users are female.

So, initially it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to use TikTok to celebrate Mean Girls Day and as a promotional tactic for the upcoming musical.

However, what does it mean for a feature-film to be released, on a social media platform, for free? (1) there is no residual income being paid to actors (even if there is what are the tracking and calculation methods), and (2) Paramount could have made additional profits by re-releasing to theaters.

Residual Income

On Monday, Oct 2, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP resumed discussions with SAG prioritizing improved pay, AI regulations, and an increase in streaming residuals. Their talks will resume on Wednesday, Oct 4.

Over the last few months we’ve seen celebrities getting paid pennies in residuals because the method is out-of-date with the rise of streaming services and contracts.

Yet today, during the middle of SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP negotiations, Paramount released the entire ‘Mean Girls’ film for free on TikTok. Currently, there’s no information about any revenue-stream, licensing fees, or residual payouts from such a decision.

Is there a revenue share involved? Are there any payouts? If so, how will that be tracked or calculated? Will it be per view per clip? Will the residual payout go out to only those actors in a particular clip or will it go out to everyone?

This Mean Girls Day stunt, while great to reach a new and younger demographic, does leave many questions as to how tomorrow’s continued negotiation will go. Maybe a better celebration would have been a theatrical re-release which would have led to residuals for actors.

Theatrical Re-release

Beyond residuals, without knowledge about any deals between Paramount and TikTok, it does appear that Paramount missed out on a possible revenue stream to celebrate Mean Girls Day: licensing fees and distribution deals.

October 3, the day you wear pink, write in your burn book, and have a watch-party of the cult-classic (ifykyk). Beyond marketing costs and additional fees, typically studios don’t pay for the distribution. Instead theaters pay a “rental fee” which is about 50-70% of all the tickets sold for the film. It would have been a great day for people to go out and celebrate for a major Mean Girls Day celebration in anticipation for the musical.

Instead, Paramount decided to make ‘Mean Girls’ free and available to the masses on TikTok. I can’t blame them for it, and it drives a big hype. However, there is a balance between the creative and logical sides to the entertainment business. While the marketing hype is strong, the studio better be prepared for the potential backlash it might have gotten itself into.

If I was Paramount, I would have opt-ed for theatrical re-release of the entire film and have used social media and other marketing platforms to advertise it. It would have given their actors a better chance for residual income, driven people to go experience the movie all over again in theaters, given theaters some income with Mean Girls exclusives, and still would have promoted the musical adaptation hype.

Overall, these are uncharted waters. With what is currently known, I believe that Paramount made a mistake releasing ‘Mean Girls’ for free on TikTok. A theatrical releases would have been a better alternative for this cult classic stunt during the midst of negotiations. Regardless, Paramount’s decision will make a lasting impact moving forward regarding production studio dealings with streaming services, social media platforms, and working conditions.