The Mamma Mia series has produced some of the most fun, high-energy films of the past two decades. 2008’s Mamma Mia and its 2018 sequel Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again use the enduring, popular music of pop group ABBA to tell the story of a very unique family and their life on a gorgeous Greek island.
Adapted from the stage musical of the same name, Mamma Mia follows bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) as she attempts to figure out which of three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård) is her father. The sequel, Here We Go Again, continues Sophie’s story as she processes the loss of her mother Donna (Meryl Streep). The movie made extensive use of flashbacks detailing the story of a younger Donna, who was played by Lily James.
Producer Judy Craymer, who worked on both of the previous films, recently revealed to the Daily Mail that the series was always intended to be a trilogy. Regarding a possible third film, Craymer admitted that she was “meant to have been getting on with [it]” but was suffering from creative block as a result of “COVID fog”. She did state that Universal Pictures was very eager to see work begin on a third film.
When asked about the possibility of a third film, various Mamma Mia cast members had quite different opinions. Pierce Brosnan, who plays Donna’s love interest and Sophie’s potential father Sam Carmichael, was excited about the prospect and thought that a third film was certainly doable. Regarding his own participation, Brosnan showed no hesitation. “I would certainly throw my hat into the ring,” he told Good Morning Britain.
Currently, Brosnan is self-quarantining in Hawaii as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is unknown when he would be available to film the movie.
Amanda Seyfried, who stars in the lead role of Sophie, was less optimistic. While she eagerly stated that she loved spending time with her fellow cast members and would happily be involved in a third Mamma Mia film, she wasn’t sure if it was possible. “I don’t think there are enough ABBA songs to make a third movie,” Seyfried told Collider, expressing concern that they would have to find new, creative ways to reuse classics such as “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trooper,” and, of course, the film’s titular song, “Mamma Mia” itself.
However, it seems that new ABBA songs may in fact be coming out very soon. Group members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have confirmed that the pop foursome have been back in the studio together, and that they plan to release at least four new songs. These songs are part of a project to create digital images of the band’s members – called ABBA-tars” – which would be able to go on “virtual tours”.
Currently, the release date for these new songs is speculated to be sometime in 2020. It is not yet known whether the COVID-19 pandemic will result in delays. However, Judy Craymer has confirmed that she does plan to use the new material, should a third Mamma Mia film take shape.
What story a hypothetical Mamma Mia 3 might tell is still unknown. Meryl Streep’s Donna died prior to Here We Go Again, but we were introduced to Sophie’s fabulous grandmother Ruby (Cher) and possible grandfather Fernando (Andy Garcia) as well as her and fiance Sky’s (Dominic Cooper) very own baby. A third film could either cover Sophie’s own journey as a mother or perhaps step back into the past to explore what really happened between Ruby and Fernando, as hinted in Cher’s stunning performance of the ABBA song of the same name in Here We Go Again.
Would you be interested in seeing a Mamma Mia 3? Which characters would you like to see return? Which ABBA songs should it feature? Let us know!
I am ready for a third!!!