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. 

"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. 

Looking ahead to 2019

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone had a great 2018. Looking back on the year Meryl had, it was generally pretty quiet as far as releases go. Yes, she was honored with her 21st Oscar nomination for The Post, but her only two screen roles were both for sequels: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Mary Poppins Returns. While her performances in both movies were small, the two films themselves were/are fairly high-profile, particularly when it comes to their respective box office returns. Mamma Mia! had a worldwide total of almost $400 million, while Mary Poppins, currently in theaters, is likely to fair similarly well.

2019 should be a very different year in terms of Meryl's roles, however. The 'big one' will likely be Big Little Lies, in which she portrays Mary Louise Wright, mother-in-law to Nicole Kidman's character, Celeste. I think I posted at one point that I expected a trailer for the HBO series in the fall, but thus far all we've had are some pics and a brief action shot of Streep in a teaser promotion. There is still no official word on when the second (and likely final) season will premiere, but there's been buzz that it will land in March. Considering it's seven episodes, all of which Meryl is apparently in by the way, it's highly unlikely to be much later, as they'll want it to wrap up before Emmy deadlines on May 31st. Meryl's role is said to be juicy, and with the shear scope and popularity of the show, this may be the key performance of her year.

Next fall we'll get to see her in two separate films, Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat and Greta Gerwig's remake of Little Women. Both films have wrapped, with Laundromat's release date yet to be finalized. I'm not sure if it will be released in theaters at the same time it goes to Netflix, but I imagine it'll be fourth quarter. All signs point to Streep's role being a supporting one. When it was first announced that she had joined the cast, it was said that her character would be the "emotional through-line" of the picture. I'm guessing she plays one of the people who are defrauded by the firm Mossack Fonseca. Maybe we'll see her a bit at the beginning of the film, and then her plight will be the undercurrent of what the rest of the film is based upon, in that the firm is found to be an enormous front for money laundering and fraud.

Little Women will hit theaters on Christmas Day. The cast of course is highly touted, but by all accounts, Meryl's role as Aunt March may be a very minor one. Not that that's necessarily bad, as it's good when she's in seemingly great projects with good directors, but of course it's always nice to see her more prominently showcased in lead roles.

And I know she also has the Martin Scorsese project with Sharon Stone lined up, but until we have more definitive info on what it's actually about, my assumption will continue to be that it's not actually a narrative feature film where Meryl is playing a role, but more of a salutatory retrospective on someone's career...like Robert De Niro.

Which brings us to probably my favorite part of blogging: potential future projects. IMDbPro currently only lists The Nix as "Projects in Development" for Streep. It's been over two years since it was announced that she would not only star in but produce a limited series based on Nathan Hill's hit debut novel. Another possible (prominent?) supporting role, but might we see this put into production sometime this spring or summer? I hope so. Other than that, we have no
confirmed projects or interests from team Streep. I maintain that The Good House would be a fantastic project, but as it's been over five years since that was announced, the further out it's pushed, the less likely it seems it will happen. Were Nyad a possibility, filming it this year would be prefect timing for a summer 2020 release, sentimentally coinciding with the schmaltzy coverage of the Olympics.

As always, time will tell how her performances this year will be received, as well as what we can expect for future projects. Regardless, I'm excited for the next twelve months!

What do you guys think? Any roles you want to throw out there as suggestions or predictions of what we might see Meryl tackle in the next few years?

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" nearing $120 million at box office

Six weeks into its run, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is nearing $120 million at the domestic box office. After this weekend it will have also surpassed $365m worldwide. While not quite the numbers compared to the first film ten years ago, these are fantastic returns.

I post about this because although Meryl was barely in the sequel, I happened to check her film list at Box Office Mojo and realized how rare it is for a film of hers to earn more than $100 million domestically:

1. Mamma Mia! (2008)--$144m
2. Into the Woods (2014)--$128m
3. The Devils Wears Prada (2006)--$124m
4. Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)--$118m
5. It's Complicated (2009)--$112m
6. Kramer vs Kramer (1979)--$106m

Interesting that at one point there was a 25-year span between films crossing the $100m mark for her. This of course isn't to say she didn't have any hits, just not typically major blockbusters. And of course we have to take inflation into account. Films such as Out of Africa and The Bridges of Madison County would be well above the $100m mark by today's standards (which makes Kramer vs Kramer's haul that much more impressive).

"Mamma Mia!" sequel continues strong run at box office

In it's second weekend, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again took in another $15 million, bringing its domestic total to $70m.  Box Office Mojo reported that the film had a larger drop than expected (45%), but it still came in second after the debut of Tom Cruise's latest Mission Impossible entry.

A strong international showing brings the film's worldwide total to a hefty $168 million already. I don't expect it to reach the levels of the original, which topped $600m, but good reviews and positive word of mouth will hopefully propel this to a similarly strong finish. 

Film review: "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (2018)

My friend Scooter and I caught a matinee of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again yesterday. In the preceding couple of days, it was already apparent that the sequel was poised to establish itself as a formidable follow-up to the immensely popular original. Released almost ten years to the date of its predecessor, this second iteration has a distinction that the first installment failed to garner: critical praise. Yes, with a Rotten Tomatoes score at 78%, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, while not a consensus gem, is somewhat surprisingly appeasing critics with its more polished execution.

Both Scooter and I agreed that the first quarter of the film dragged a bit. It opens with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) busily preparing for the reopening of her mother's hotel. We learn early that Meryl's character Donna has indeed passed, thus striking the emotional drive for both the present-day events and flashback sequences. Considering Meryl was barely in the movie until a single scene at the end (with a touching performance of My Love, My Life), my favorite scenes were with Lily James, who plays the young Donna. She is an absolute joy to watch onscreen. Beautiful, energetic, glowing, with a light, yet lovely voice. We're given a glimpse into how she met Sophie's "three fathers." And while it was particularly silly to believe she would run into a devilishly handsome contemporary every fifty paces, it was nonetheless enjoyable to follow as their relationships unfold. I admit I developed a little crush on Josh Dylan, who plays young Bill (Stellan Skarsgård).



Comic relief was adeptly provided by both Julie Walters (Rosie) and especially Christine Baranski (Tanya), with such irreverant quips from Tanya as "be still my beating vagina." Alexa Davies (young Rosie) and Jessica Keenan-Wyn were delightful as their twenty-something counterparts.

And then of course there's queen Cher. Portraying Ruby, Donna's mother and Sophie's grandmother, she flies in on a helicopter to crash the hotel's opening extravaganza. I told some friends that she's very Cher-y in her fun performance of Fernando with Andy Garcia, who portrays the hotel manager, Fernando, extraordinarily a former lover of Ruby's. Overall, pretty much only Meryl and Cher sounded like professional singers, but that's sort of the tone of the film, I guess, and it didn't really bother me. 

Numbers are still trickling in from the box office, but the opening weekend is likely to land around $34 million, slightly under the projected total of $40m. Worldwide, it's already hit a total of over $76 million, opening in multiple large international markets simultaneously with its U.S. release.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, part of the appeal of this film is likely the simple fact that it's fun. While there are some sentimental or even sad scenes, those moments lend the film a more touching human element, despite its often predictable, corny dialogue. I have only seen the first film once (opening weekend 2008), and frankly have had little interest in a second viewing. For part two, however, I just might have to get myself to the theater for another dose.

Positive reviews flowing in for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Well color me surprised. The first critic reviews started coming in yesterday for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one who wasn't expecting such a positive response. As this goes to post, with 57 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is sitting at a very strong 86%. Dozens of additional reactions will of course trickle in over the coming days, but at this point, that number is extremely encouraging. Even Metacritic, with it's weighted scale, has the film at a respectable 65, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

The sequel is probably just overall a better picture. From the trailers, the cinematography and camera angles seem a little more sophisticated (not that I'm an expert) than the original, which, in comparison, topped out at a tepid 54% on RT. Well done, Ol Parker. 

Even though Meryl is only making a cameo, anytime something she's involved in is well-received, it's exciting. Hopefully the reviews forecast a hefty performance at the box open as well!

Streep attends premiere of "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Meryl was in London today for the premiere of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

A lot of eyes were of course on the newest cast member, Cher. She and Meryl actually shared a kiss at one point on the blue carpet, no doubt to screams from onlookers. Streep's attendance seemed to put to rest fears from a few remaining naysayers out there who still weren't convinced that she actually made an appearance in the film at all. 

The film opens nationwide in the States on Friday. I'll be catching a Saturday matinee with Scooter. 

Additional photos of Meryl from the premiere can be found here. 

Streep performs three songs on soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!" sequel

The soundtrack for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again will be released tomorrow (Friday) Meryl is listed three times on the recently revealed tracklist:

• When I Kissed the Teacher - Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies and Celia Imrie

• I Wonder (Departure) - Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies

• One of Us - Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper

• Waterloo - Hugh Skinner and Lily James

• Why Did It Have to Be Me? - Josh Dylan, Lily James and Hugh Skinner

• I Have a Dream - Lily James

• Kisses of Fire - Panos Mouzourakis

• Andante, Andante - Lily James

• The Name of the Game - Lily James

• Knowing Me, Knowing You - Jeremy Irvine, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan and Amanda Seyfried

• Angel Eyes - Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Amanda Seyfried

• Mamma Mia - Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies

• Dancing Queen - Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie          Walters and Pierce Brosnan

• I've Been Waiting for You - Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters

• Fernando - Cher and Andy Garcia

• My Love, My Life - Amanda Seyfried, Lily James and Meryl Streep

• Super Trouper - Cher, Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin      Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Andy Garcia, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Lily James, Jessica      Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies

• The Day Before You Came - Meryl Streep

Lily James is obviously a large part of the picture, based solely how much she's represented in the recording. I'm particularly looking forward to hearing "My Love, My Life."  "The Day Before You Came" is likely Meryl's big moment in the film.

Earlier today there was also a new featurette where Meryl discusses her involvement:


The film opens next Friday, July 20.

New scenes from "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Some new scenes were recently released from the upcoming Mamma Mia! sequel:

It heavily features Cher, who portrays Meryl's mother in the film. After watching this, I'm actually starting to look forward to the film. I've mentioned in previous posts that the production quality seems pretty good and that it's colorful and bright. Even if the film doesn't end up being what most critics would call a good film, or if it's cheesy and campy and predictable, it will likely provide something that I can remember Meryl describing about the original.

She had originally seen the show on Broadway shortly after 9/11, and recalled that the buoyancy and fun of the production was uplifting to her and the group of kids she had taken as part of her daughter's birthday party. It was a dark and somber time in the United States, and with the way things are currently going here, I'm realizing that I'm craving over-the-top happy things again, regardless of their artistic merit.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again opens nationwide July 20.

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again featurette

A brief featurette entitled "Becoming Donna" was released yesterday with commentary by Meryl:

     

She's very complimentary of Lily James, who plays the younger version of Donna in the sequel. It's cute how James lights up when she talks about Meryl and how she's "the greatest actress of all time."

In related news, a recent article in Forbes is reporting that the film is expected to bring in around $30 million in it's opening weekend of July 20.

Cher with Meryl in ET segment on "Mamma Mia!" sequel

Entertainment Tonight did a little segment on Cher's participation in the upcoming Mamma Mia! sequel and we get a little blurb of Meryl talking about her:

                                     

Lord knows she's had her share of work done, but Cher looks damn good. Some nice clips from other returning members of the cast as well. The film hits theaters three weeks from Friday!

New clip from "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

A clip I haven't seen yet showed up on YouTube the other day from United International Pictures, an Argentinian site that is likely distributing the film there:



The clip shows the filming of the "Waterloo" scene, where young Donna (Lily James) meets young Harry (Hugh Skinner).  Donna of course was played by Meryl in the original ten years ago, while Harry was portrayed by Colin Firth.

The premiere of the film is kind of sneaking up on us, with only six weeks remaining before it arrives in theaters in the U.S. and U.K.

New video from "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

A new video has been released showing a full song performed by Lily James as a "young Meryl" in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again:



By young Meryl, of course I mean "young Meryl's character." I maintain that I'm not particularly enthusiastic about Meryl participating in this film, as her role is obviously very small. That said, watching this clip I'm sort of looking forward to seeing it. Yes, it'll be campy, silly, low-brow and maybe even poorly written. But I highly doubt it will be boring.

Final trailer for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Universal Pictures released the final trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again earlier today:



It's pretty obvious that Meryl's character Donna will have a very small role, and there's not much in this new trailer that makes me think anything other than Donna is dead. 

I actually felt sort of interested to see the movie(?)  It looks fun, upbeat and colorful, which is sort of lacking in a lot of the things I tend to see on screen these days. The music of course will be recognizable and enjoyable, and the announcement last week that ABBA will be releasing new music for the first time in over three decades will hopefully be a promotional boon to the film's box office changes. Cher might help too. 

Here We Go Again opens nationwide July 20.

The next five years

With filming underway for season 2 of Big Little Lies, I thought I'd do one of my favorite things and post about my wishes/predictions/expectations for Meryl's upcoming filming schedule. Let's jump right in.

We already know that 2018 will bring us two feature films involving Meryl in likely rather small roles: Mama Mia! Here We Go Again July and Mary Poppins Returns in December. It's interesting that both roles are in sequels, something I don't think Meryl has ever done before, nor had I expected her to. But they're not the traditional "this film was good so let's make sure we immediately bank on the first film's success," as Mama Mia! is ten years later, and Mary Poppins over fifty. Big Little Lies is likely to release to HBO first quarter 2019, which leaves us to speculate about what roles will be in her near future.

The only other realistic possibility that has already been announced is the limited series The Nix. Nathan Hill's novel has reportedly been adapted into about nine episodes for television, but it has yet to land a distributor.  Maybe we'll see that come to fruition for filming this summer or early fall, but if J.J. Abrams is expected to direct any of the episodes, he likely won't be available until 2019, as this year he'll be busy on some obscure little indie pic called Star Wars. 

Let's say The Nix does eventually happen but that its filming is postponed to spring/summer 2019. That would likely mean a 2020 release.  Not a bad idea considering its a politically charged story and that will be an election year that is certain to have tensions running high. Call me obsessed, but I've also been thinking lately about how great it would be to see The Good House filmed for television in a limited series a la 2014's Olive Kitteridge on HBO, starring Frances McDormand. It would provide a more thorough delving into the lush character of Hildy Good, without the constraints of the two hour package typically required for film. The story would work nicely as four episodes and if were somehow already planned, could be ripe for filming this fall.

I would expect that a limited series for The Good House would release on television fourth quarter 2019, again like Olive Kitteridge. That brings us to 2019. I've previously posted how great it would be to see Meryl star in Nyad, as marathon swimmer Diana Nyad as she battles to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark tank. A summer/fall shooting schedule would be adequate for a summer 2020 release. A handful of Streep films have done very well in that August time slot, which, in 2020 would coincide with the summer Olympics. What better marketing tool to have for an inspirational story about a competitive swimmer?

The following two years could be relatively conventional. A lead role in a Greta Gerwig vehicle for a 2021 release, followed by a sure to be mind-blowing pairing with Jessica Lange as Edith Windsor and Streep as her wife, Thea Spyer.

The whole schedule could look something like this:

2018
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again (July)
Mary Poppins Returns (December)

2019
Big Little Lies (~February)--TV
The Good House (~November)--TV

2020
The Nix (~May)--TV
Nyad (August)

2021
Greta Gerwig project

2022
Edith Windsor/Thea Spyer biopic with Jessica Lange

The proposed timeline would be a delightful combination of lead and supporting roles on television and in film, of biopics, literary adaptations and original stories.

Why not, right?

Second trailer for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

A new trailer was released yesterday for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and it somehow seems that Meryl is in the film even less than the original trailer suggested?



It's now an established fact that Meryl basically has only a cameo in this second installment.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first film, other than the fact that it made a shit ton of money which always helps getting future projects greenlit, so I'm not super bummed.  That said, Here We Go Again actually looks like it might be a better-made movie? God bless Phyllida Lloyd, as the pair of Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady were both historical successes in  Meryl's career trajectory, but she's not exactly an auteur.  I'll see the film regardless of course.

What's interesting is that likely the next three screen projects we have from Meryl are essentially sequels to what were very successful originals: Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins and Big Little Lies. I've maintained that Meryl would be averse to sequels, and I think that's still the case, actually, as the deterrent is more about returning to the same character than it is about the project itself.  The only real return to the same character is in Here We Go Again, and as we're learning, that's barely a drop in the ocean.

First trailer for "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" released (officially)

Without further ado:



I've already discussed most of this in my most recent post, but yeah, this looks like mostly prequel. And the current stuff appears to include very little of Meryl, with legitimate speculation that her character has been killed off. 

I'm not really sure what more to say about it. The first film wasn't my favorite, and now that Meryl will evidently barely be in the sequel, my best hope is that it isn't a huge pile of shit.  But if it is, it won't be because of Meryl.  I'll still see it, but looking forward to other things.