Is Mamma Mia 3 Happening, Or Will The Franchise Leave Us Brokenhearted?
It is so common to hear actors say they had a blast filming a movie that you're allowed to be cynical when they talk about how the cast became like a family. The big exception, of course, is the "Mamma Mia" movies. Every scene from the "Mamma Mia" movies exudes fun. Sure, they are not the most visually vibrant, and the scripts have the complexity of a paper airplane. That being said, it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement, the dancing, the burning passion exuding from Cher and Andy Garcia singing "Fernando."
The adaptation of Catherine Johnson's smash-hit Broadway stage show of the same name from 1999 focuses on Sophia (Amanda Seyfried) and her mom Donna (Meryl Streep) who live in a hotel run by Donna on a Greek Island. The first film was set in the lead-up to Sophie's wedding, as she invites three men to the ceremony, hoping to find out which is her biological father. The sequel goes bigger and bolder in every single way. It jumps forward in time after Donna's death and follows Sophie in the present as she struggles with managing the hotel alone while pregnant while flashing back to Donna's youth. And it also features Cher and Andy Garcia singing "Fernando."
With that in mind, a third "Mamma Mia" movie would have a lot to live up to. But will it even happen?
Everything the cast and crew have said about Mamma Mia 3
Would it shock you to know that pretty much everyone involved with the "Mamma Mia" movies is ecstatic about the prospect of returning for a third movie — or more specifically, the prospect of a paid vacation in Greece?
While there is no official word on a third film, Judy Craymer, who produced both the "Mamma Mia" stage musical and the films, said that she already has a storyline in the works. "It will happen," she told Variety. "We've done the television show and now maybe I'll focus on the movie."
Back in 2020, she told the Daily Mail that there will be a third film, "because there's meant to be a trilogy" and that she had started working on it. She added that the new songs ABBA made for their "Voyage" live show could serve as a base for the third film. On the other hand, ABBA member Benny Andersson told BBC Two that a third film would be "wishful thinking" unless a new setting "and an irresistible script" were on the table.
As for the cast, they're very much in. Meryl Streep, despite her character being dead, doesn't rule out a future appearance. After all, she already appeared as a ghost in "Here We Go Again," so why not do it again? "I told Judy, if she could figure out a way to reincarnate Donna, I'm into that," she said during an oral history for Vanity Fair. "Or it could be like in one of those soap operas, where Donna comes back and reveals it was really her twin sister that died." Colin Firth, who plays one of Donna's exes and one of Sophie's dads, thinks the third film will happen whether there's a good idea for it or not, telling Variety Fair that "it doesn't have to be a good idea in any lofty sense, but it just has to be a good enough script to give us another go."
Likewise, Pierce Brosnan, who plays Sam, recently said he is pretty sure a third "Mamma Mia" will happen, and if it does, he's in. "It's criminal how much fun you have on that movie. I think everybody would be in," he said.
Still, as of now, there seems to be next to no movement on a "Mamma Mia 3," even if everyone wants it to happen.
What could happen in Mamma Mia 3
There are two big questions regarding "Mamma Mia 3." The first one is how they'll handle Streep's absence. The second involves the songs. Given all the big songs were already used in the first two movies, where can the trilogy go? And perhaps more importantly, what can it be titled? That much is obvious, at least. Call it "Mamma Mia 3: Super Troupers," or "Mamma Mia 3: Dancing Queen."
As for the plot, follow Meryl Streep's idea and have Donna come back from the dead, in the style of a soap opera. Or barring that, have her show up as a ghost watching over Sophie and singing songs from the afterlife. Of course, you cannot get rid of Lily James and the flashback cast, so have a parallel adventure where Donna gets into some shenanigans in the past while Sophia deals with motherhood.
Then there are the songs. While the big hits are taken, there are still plenty of ABBA songs to use. Songs like "Keep An Eye On Dan," "Hasta Mañana" (which could continue Cher and Andy Garcia's storyline somehow), and "Thank You For The Music" which has played over the credits, rather than in an actual number. And besides, there's an entire new album ABBA released in 2021 titled "Voyage" for their cool hologram show in London. In short, there are plenty of options.