Judy Craymer insists "Mamma Mia!" threequel will happen, Sabrina Carpenter eyed for role

Deadline is reporting that producer Judy Craymer is confident that a third Mamma Mia! film will come to fruition. In the interview, Craymer, the force behind the stage musical and its subsequent two films, mentioned that Sabrina Carpenter would portray a "goddess or some relation who would look very much like Meryl Streep." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it makes me think that Carpenter would be playing a younger version of Meryl or her granddaughter perhaps? I can actually see the resemblance in the photo below. 

Craymer flat out confirmed that Meryl would be in the third film, "nodding affirmatively" when asked, and adding "Yeah, she (Meryl) said our after-shooting dinners were legendary. There is a script, but I'm not going there." Craymer also suggested the possibility of a Mamma Mia! television series in the future. 

I could of course take it or leave it if Meryl involved herself in this project. But I do like the idea of her being involved in another film that does well at the box office, especially if she has more than a cameo like she did in the sequel. That, combined with the Devil Wears Prada sequel could be a nice boon to her career, which only helps in green-lighting future projects in which Meryl might wish to participate. 

Keep 'em comin', Meryl!

Marvel for Meryl?

Will Meryl be entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Casting director Sarah Halley Finn was asked at the Agatha All Around premiere earlier this week whom she'd like to cast in a Marvel movie. She pretty emphatically announced Meryl. 

Sarah Halley Finn says Meryl Streep can play "anything she wants" in Marvel. Has she been approached? "Maybe." But there hasn't been "the right role," yet. #AgathaAllAlong https://t.co/fovgx9Ba68 pic.twitter.com/E5QBwgcU7s

— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2024

This isn't the first time Meryl has been rumored to have been approached or to be in talks for a role in a Marvel movie. But this sounds a little more specific and intentional, in that I'm guessing Meryl (through her people or whatever) has been contacted to see if she'd be interested in a Marvel project. And I'm guessing Meryl may have responded with something like "if the right role were to come along." 

For real though, I'm sure it'll come as no secret that I'd be totally fine with Meryl setting her sights elsewhere. The only possible projects that we know about currently are both Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! sequels. To think that something as painfully mainstream as a superhero movie would be taking up her time is maddening to me. Yes, yes, it's possible there could be a fascinating role in store, and if it opened her to a new legion of fans, fine. But I'm thirsty for something more Meryl-y. 

I'm not holding my breath that this will happen anytime soon. 

Streep in serious talks for "Mamma Mia!" 3

This was not the immediate news I was hoping to get out of Cannes. Baz Bamigboye at Deadline interviewed Meryl and got the most specific information about the rumors of her signing on for a third round of Mamma Mia! that we heard thus far. Meryl was quoted as saying that "of course I want to do it. I don’t know how they’re going to do it. They have an idea. I haven’t heard it yet but it’s in [my diary] and I’m going to hear about it pretty soon." Her agent Kevin Huvane then added that they were "optimistic" about it. 

Fine. I'm getting pretty desperate to see Meryl in something new and interesting. This is definitely not it. But as always, I'm in favor of Meryl doing something, and if there are talks for this movie, maybe there are talks for others. At the very least, it's pretty obvious that Meryl has no immediate plans for retiring from the screen altogether. Would a Mamma Mia! trilogy be so bad as part of her film legacy? I guess not. Hell, maybe the third time will be the charm. The second installment was technically a better film, but Meryl was in it so little. Hopefully, if this moves forward, Meryl will have a big part, and it will be both high quality and entertaining. 

An oral history of "Mamma Mia!"

In honor of the fifteen-year anniversary of its theatrical release, Vogue has posted an oral history of Mamma Mia! It is very long and detailed so I haven't read all of it, but it popped up because of Meryl being quoted in it saying that she'd be up for a part three. The possibility of Mamma Mia! becoming a trilogy has been around for a while. And I seem to remember having read that Meryl told producer Judy Craymer something to the effect that if the script were right, she'd be down: 

I’m up for anything. I’ll have to schedule a knee scoping before we film, but if there’s an idea that excites me, I’m totally there. I told Judy if she could figure out a way to reincarnate Donna, I’m into that. 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. 

As much as I like seeing Meryl in new material, I would not be at all sad if this never came to light. At least if it did, it might be more than a cameo for her, and it would probably make a lot of money. But as Meryl pushes 75, I'm getting a bit more greedy in my interests for her projects. The options will be few for her demographic and I personally would prefer to see her in more typical "Meryl" roles, meaning things or characters that are tricky, complicated, and dramatic. I probably sound like a broken record. Alas, beggars can't be choosers, and anything that opens the door for Meryl getting offered said projects is a good thing. As a quick aside, one thing I found interesting in the attached article was that Meryl was the first choice for the role of Donna from the start. I thought I had read that Nicole Kidman may have been in the running or maybe even offered the role, but Meryl was actually whom Caymer and director Phyllida Lloyd had originally envisioned. And they were apparently happily surprised when she agreed to star!

Does anyone care whether Meryl participates in a third "Mamma Mia!" movie?

Three years ago, I posted that Mamma Mia! creator Judy Craymer had been quoted in an interview that a third film may be on the horizon. Well, as they're on the look for new stars for the upcoming 25th anniversary of the stage musical, Craymer is again saying that things are in the early stages for a new movie. In fact, she's quoted as saying about Meryl, "There is a story there, and I do think Meryl should come back -- and if the script is right, she would, I think, because she really loved playing Donna."

Fine. But what kind of script is there going to be for a dead character who was originally played by an actor that will be close to twenty years older thatn when she was in the original movie? Maybe they'd figure something that would be believable, but I pretty much don't care if this happens. I do like when things are tidy, and when they say that they originally planned for this to be a trilogy, maybe it makes sense. But I don't think Meryl needs to do this to stay relevant, even if it ended up making a lot of money. Maybe it's true that she'd just like to do it because it was fun and she enjoys Donna as a character. 

At this point, I'd rather she spend her time on something new and more interesting. We'll see if it ever comes to fruition, with or without Meryl. 

"Mamma Mia!" 3?

Judy Craymer, who produced the original stage version of Mamma Mia! has recently been quoted as saying a third film may be on the horizon. Apparently she's been planning to develop the latest iteration of the musical, stating that "it was always meant to be a trilogy." Craymer plans to include new material form Abba. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I was originally annoyed that Meryl was going to do a sequel, but I ended up actually liking it better (as a whole film) than the original. And while Meryl's part was very small, I struggle to understand how they could incorporate Donna again, considering she was already dead in the "Here We Go Again."

Regardless, both films were huge box office successes. Maybe it would be kind of fun if Meryl were to round out the franchise and be involved in a trilogy (assuming it ended at three). But I'm not holding my breath. 

Original "Mamma Mia!" returning to theaters in November

Several sources are reporting that to commemorate its 10th anniversary, Mamma Mia! will be returning to theaters for two days in November. On the 4th and 6th, about 400 theaters nationwide will present special screenings that in addition to the full film will include interviews with the cast and a featurette on how they coordinated Meryl's performance of "The Winner Takes it All." 

The film originally surpassed $600 million at the global box office, so it'll be interesting to see how much it can add to its total in just a two-day period. Tickets for either day can be found here.

More pics from the set of "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!"

There have been a few pics of Lily James in Croatia this week, where they're currently filming  Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!  I sort of breezed by them because they all seemed like just random shots off set. I realized today however that there were indeed a few taken of James with her co-star Jeremy Irving during what looks like an actual scene from the film:

                                 

Irvine plays the young version of Pierce Brosnan's character from the original. The full set of pics can be seen here. 

Entire original cast reportedly returning for "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!"

Dominic Cooper, who will be reprising his role of Sky in the currently filming Mamma Mia! sequel, has apparently confirmed that the entire original cast will be joining the remake.  I'm not really sure how a newspaper in North Dakota scooped this info, or maybe I totally missed that the news was previously confirmed, but before today I was still unsure if Julie Walters, for example, would complete the Dynamo trio.

The larger cast has also been updated on IMDb. Although I've never been a big fan of the original original, with everyone returning and the fact that it'll be a decade since it was released, I'm getting a little nostalgic for the movie and will probably end up watching it again soon.

Looking forward to seeing the first pics of Meryl on set!

"Mamma Mia!" sequel in the works

Among other sources, Variety is reporting that Meryl is set to reprise her role as Donna in the sequel to 2008's Mamma Mia!, entitled Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

When I first read the news, I have to admit that I was disappointed.  Generally, I've never really thought that doing a sequel would be up to Meryl's standards.  Historically, what I've probably enjoyed most about her is the variety of characters she chooses to portray, and doing a sequel seems to fly in the face of that history.

It's not like Mamma Mia! was a great film, either.  However, it totally made the dough.  If we consider the fact that Meryl will turn 68 this summer, it might actually be a super smart move on her part.  Mamma Mia! grossed over $600 million worldwide in 2008.  What better way to give a boost to your "bankability" than to star in a cash cow that might bolster your status with filmmakers for a decade to come?

With that in mind, I can't help but wish this were news of The Good House instead.  I have to try to be pragmatic though, understanding that Meryl had a great number of doors open for her after the financial success of the original, and if the sequel were to do even half as well, it would provide for future projects that would likely be very much to my liking.

It's interesting that for a long time after Florence Foster Jenkins rapped in 2015, I lamented the dearth of projects on Streep's horizon.  Finally, in July of last year it was announced that she would have a bit part in Mary Poppins Returns, to be released at the end of 2018.  Now, however, we potentially have three projects that are set to film and debut well before that.  The Post, or "Untitled Steven Spielberg Project" has a release date of December this year.  The Nix could potentially get pulled together for a second quarter slate of 2018, and now Here We Go Again! already has a release date for July 20, 2018.  What a change from just a few months ago!

It gives me confidence in this new project that the writer of both Exotic Marigold Hotel films is penning this for Meryl.  That said, it doesn't seem that Ol Parker has necessarily established himself as a great director.  Regardless, we know he probably has a good handle on what makes this demographic tick, which is why I feel Meryl is hopping aboard.

Fingers crossed that this is a success and provides Meryl  multiple future opportunities to shine.

Let's Talk About..."It's Complicated"

Since the inaugural post for this section in March I've inadvertently left it dormant.  I watched It's Complicated very recently so thought it would be an appropriate next entry.  One of my favorite things about re-watching Streep films is that I catch these little things I missed in previous viewings.  Of course one does that with every movie, but particularly with Meryl there are so many layers and subtleties to her performances that it's next to impossible to notice everything on the first go around.

I think we tend to think of this picture as a rom-com and total lifestyle porn.  It probably is, but Streep's character of Jane Adler goes through some pretty complicated interesting emotional situations.  The modern family dynamic following divorce is explored from the point of view of an independent mother of three adult children.  Let's not forget that the film came out when Meryl was 60 years old, which makes the fact that it made $112 domestically pretty astonishing.  At the end of 2009 Streep had sort of cemented her 'later-bloomer' box office draw standing.  Following 2006's The Devil Wears Prada, 2008's Mamma Mia! and summer 2009's Julie & Julia, we'd enjoyed an unprecedented string of commercial successes for Streep which she has yet to match.  The four films mentioned averaged $119 million in the U.S.

Discuss.