Universal has realized it could never let go of “Mamma Mia!” Variety reports that a sequel for the 2008 musical hit is officially in the works. “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!” will hit theaters July 20, 2018.
Plot details for the sequel haven’t been confirmed yet, but “Universal has been bouncing around ideas for years on how to proceed with the box office smash,” the source writes. One possible direction “could focus on Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan characters years before the original takes place.”
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, the original “Mamma Mia!” takes place during the days before Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) wedding. Unbeknownst to her mother, Donna (Streep), Sophie has invited three of Donna’s exes to the ceremony (Brosnan, Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård) in the hopes of finding out which of them is her father. All of the musicals songs are Abba hits, such as “Take a Chance On Me,” “Our Last Summer,” and of course, “Mamma Mia.” Phyllida Lloyd directed from a script by Catherine Johnson.
Unfortunately, neither Lloyd or Johnson are involved in the sequel. Ol Parker, the writer-director of “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” films, will be helming “Here We Go Again!” It’s possible that neither Lloyd nor Johnson were interested in the project, but we still wish Universal had hired a female writing-directing team for the film. The original “Mamma Mia!” raked in about $610 million globally on a budget of $52 million, so the “movies directed by women aren’t profitable” line definitely isn’t applicable here. It begs the question: What is the excuse for excluding women behind the scenes this time?
While we don’t know much about the plot of “Here We Go Again!” Variety confirms that Abba songs feature prominently in the sequel. Songs not featured in the original will be included, as will “some reprised favorites.” The original’s producers, Littlestar’s Judy Craymer and Playtone Pictures’ Gary Goetzman, are attached to the sequel, and Abba members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus will again serve as EPs.
