Mamma Mia! 3 has not been officially confirmed, but not all hope is lost yet.
Producer Judy Craymer gave fans the latest update saying that the threequel "will happen".
"I am so hands on with everything that I can only do so much. So the TV show has been a big priority. I'm sure [the third movie] will happen. I'm in the privileged position that I have Universal Studios wanting to do it, who I love working with, and I have a storyline," Craymer revealed to Variety.
In December 2022, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again writer-director Ol Parker reiterated that Craymer "always plans for it to be a trilogy", which is promising.
"The first one made an enormous amount of money, and I think we made a fair amount too," he explained. "I know that there is a hunger for a third, and I know that she has a plan. Wouldn't it be lovely?"
Universal Pictures Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray) [2018] [Region Free]
![Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray) [2018] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1613734178-51LLFe94lTL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray) [2018] [Region Free]")
Universal Pictures Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection (Blu-ray) [2018] [Region Free]
Back in July 2020, Craymer revealed she was close to saying 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do' to a third movie. "I was meant to have been getting on with that, in my head, during these months. But then I got hit with COVID fog," she recalled.
In May 2022, Amanda Seyfried disappointingly revealed that nobody was talking to her about Mamma Mia! 3, but she was still hopeful that they'll get to do it. Christine Baranski pretty much said the same in January 2022 as well.
As for Lily James, who played the young Donna in the sequel, she's "desperate" for the third movie to happen.
So are we, Lily — so are we.
But while we wait for anything official, here's everything you need to know about a potential Mamma Mia! 3.
Mamma Mia 3 potential release date: When will Mamma Mia 3 be released?
Since the third movie hasn't been officially confirmed, we don't yet have a release date, but we can make some guesses.
The previous two movies came out in July, so it seems unlikely that they'd move away from that and also means we can probably rule out expecting to see the threequel in July 2024 — unless filming has been done in secret. We wish!
It only took around a year between filming starting and the movie being released on the first two outings in the series. So if production does get started in 2024 on the third movie, we could see it in July 2025. Maybe.
For now, though, we'll just have to wait to see if Mamma Mia! 3 even gets confirmed before we get too excited about a release.
Mamma Mia 3 cast: Who's coming back for Mamma Mia 3?
Should the third movie be confirmed, we don't imagine they'll struggle to get the cast back together, so expect to see all your favourites again.
Amanda Seyfried has changed her mind on whether a third movie will happen from "I don't f**king think so" to "beyond yes", even if she isn't convinced there are enough ABBA songs remaining to make it work.
In June 2023, she revealed "there's lots of talk", but she jokingly added: "I just don't think Universal can afford us."
So, if they manage to get a script that works for the third movie, we might or might not see Seyfried return as Sophie Sheridan — along with the likes of Dominic Cooper as Sophie's husband Sky, Christine Baranski as Tanya and Julie Walters as Rosie.
And what would a Mamma Mia! movie be without Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård as Sophie's three fathers Sam, Harry and Bill?
Brosnan seemed keen to return when asked about a potential third movie in October 2022: "I'm in, too. Sure. It's criminal how much fun you have on that movie. I think everybody would be in... I'm sure there's some plans."
However, given that the older version of Donna Sheridan (played by Meryl Streep) died between the first and second movies, we're not expecting her to return for a third outing.
Now, Meryl Streep had an excellent idea to bring her back, in case that helps.
"I told [producer] Judy [Craymer] 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," she said to Vogue in September 2023.
She also joked about how long it would take to get the movie made, and we can't blame her.
Having already witnessed Donna's past exploits, Lily James (who played the young Donna) could also be missing from a third movie as a result, but she might always be back in flashbacks.
In terms of Sophie's estranged grandmother and Donna's mother, Ruby Sheridan (Cher) was an effective replacement, so we'd expect her to continue to fill that maternal role — even if Cher was playing the mum of Streep in a fairly major time slip for the actresses.
Still, don't rule out Streep entirely if she does fancy playing a part. A ghost version of Donna appeared to sing at the end of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at the christening of Sophie's daughter, so maybe Streep could continue to look down on and participate in events from the afterlife.
Skarsgård, on the other hand, is all in if a threequel does go ahead. Speaking to Digital Spy, the actor revealed that he would join a third movie in a heartbeat: "I wouldn't have to read the script. If they call, I'll come."
Even his son, Alexander Skarsgård, fancies a role in the third movie. Alexander previously said he would "one hundred percent" sign up for it — not to work with his father but to work again with Meryl Streep. Would his wish be enough to bring Streep back into the Mamma Mia! mix?
Mamma Mia 3 songs: What ABBA songs will be in Mamma Mia 3?
To continue this franchise properly, we're obviously going to need a reprise of 'Mamma Mia', what with it being in the title and all.
There are also a few songs that are solid-gold ABBA classics that have appeared as touchstones in both movies so far and could reappear:
• 'Dancing Queen'
• 'I Have a Dream'
• 'The Name of the Game'
• 'Super Trouper'
• 'Waterloo'
The original Mamma Mia also contained the following ABBA songs:
• 'Chiquitita'
• 'Does Your Mother Know'
• 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)'
• 'Honey, Honey'; 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do'
• 'Lay All Your Love on Me'
• 'Money, Money, Money'
• 'Our Last Summer'
• 'Slipping Through My Fingers'
• 'SOS'
• 'Take a Chance on Me'
• 'Thank You for the Music'
• 'The Winner Takes It All'
• 'Voulez-Vous'
• 'When All Is Said and Done'
Meanwhile, Mamma Mia 2 added these ABBA songs:
• 'Andante, Andante'
• 'Angel Eyes'
• 'Fernando'
• 'I Wonder (Departure)'
• 'I've Been Waiting for You'
• 'Kisses of Fire'
• 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'
• 'My Love, My Life'
• 'One of Us'
• 'The Day Before You Came'
• 'When I Kissed the Teacher'
• 'Why Did It Have to Be Me?'
As for what other songs might make an appearance in the threequel, it's anybody's guess right now. Fear not though, there's plenty still to mine from ABBA's back catalogue if a third movie happens.
Whatever the choice, you can be sure Cher will be happy to bang out more ABBA hits for our pleasure.
Mamma Mia 3 trailer: Any Mamma Mia 3 footage yet?
There's no trailer for Mamma Mia! 3 yet, obviously, but in the meantime you could lose several afternoons enjoying videos of ABBA's back catalogue so here's a great place to get started.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
