Here we go again…again. Well, maybe. As much fervor as there is for another “Mamma Mia!” installment, the film series’ main star, Amanda Seyfried knows that things in this business take a long time and there are certain considerations studios must undertake, especially in regards to building on IP. There are also certain considerations Seyfried has in mind too.
“Show me the money!” Seyfried said with a laugh during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She added that producer Judy Craymer is “working on it,” but she believes Universal only likes to work on musical at a time, as the first “Wicked” was stalled due to “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” With the release of “Wicked: For Good” still ahead, Seyfried doesn’t think there’s any pressure for the studio to push it forward.
“It’s an either/or situation with musicals,” she said. “And I have this theory that Universal just knows we’re going to do it, so they’re not in any rush. And it’s just going to cost double.”
Another factor involved in doing another “Mamma Mia!” is the involvement of Meryl Streep, who appeared in the first film, but was killed off in the second one — a recommendation, Seyfried said, came from Streep herself. If a third film were to be made however, many fans are hoping for her miraculous return.
“Maybe that’s the stall,” said Seyfried. “They still haven’t figured out how to bring her back from the dead. From what I was told, that was her choice — so maybe it’s on her to write it. I’m sure she has ideas. Meryl’s a genius. But I hope they figure it out. The one day that she was on set for the last movie was when it finally felt like we were all together again.”
Thankfully, Seyfried did still have a chance to show off her stunning singing chops in a new upcoming original musical film directed by Mona Fastvold from a script she co-wrote with husband and partner on “The Brutalist,” Brady Corbet. Set in colonial times, “Ann Lee” follows the story of the Shakers founder and leader of the same name.
“It’s really crazy,” Seyfried told THR. “I haven’t seen it. But Brady just texted me that he saw the first cut. He loves it, and he’s not biased about his own work. He’s not one to fucking blow smoke. Brady and Mona are dear friends of mine. They’ve scraped by making incredible indie movies. This is what they’re good at. And I got to play a famous cult leader in a musical set in the 1770s!”
No release date has been set for “Ann Lee,” but it will likely make its debut at one of the global festivals this summer. It co-stars Thomasin McKenzie, Christopher Abbott, Lewis Pullman, and Tim Blake Nelson. Seyfried can next be seen in the crime mystery series “Long Bright River,” streaming on Peacock this Wednesday, March 13.
