Mamma Mia creator Judy Craymer has revealed her plans for another film (Pictures: REX / ITV)
The creator of Mamma Mia! has shared the plans she has for another movie.
After a decade of working to convince Abba to give her the rights to their songs, in 1999 Judy Craymer’s musical hit the stage on the West End and has now been seen by over 65 million people worldwide.
Then, in 2008 the movie based on her work was released and it became an instant hit.
Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, Mamma Mia! grossed $611 million (£503,959 million), becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of that year.
A decade later, the sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Lily James, was released.
It was in 2020 that Judy then announced a third film was in development, but not much has been spoken about it since.
She’s said she wants plans for a third movie to go ahead as soon as possible (Picture: PA)
However now she’s shared more details.
During a recent Q & A event for the upcoming ITV talent show Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, which will search for two stars to play the lead roles of Sophie and Sky in the musical in London, Judy was asked about where production for the next film is currently at.
‘Well, yes very much I do want to do a third film and I hope it will happen,’ she said.
The first movie, starring Meryl Streep, was released in 2008 (Picture: Moviestore/REX)
‘But everything with Mamma Mia takes a long time.
‘It took many years for it to happen for television, but I do hope so.’
She also added that one of the judges of the upcoming reality series, Alan Carr, had also put his hand up to appear.
‘He’s been sending me cash on a weekly basis,’ she joked, before he expressed a desire to play a ‘camp waiter’ in the next movie.
‘Surely you can write that in!’ he said.
He added: ‘I’m not getting any younger.’
The second saw Lily James play a younger version of Meryl’s character (Picture: AP)
Many of the movie’s stars have also said over the years that they’d be keen to return, with Amanda once declaring: ‘I dare you to show me one person who doesn’t want a third Mamma Mia!’
Around the same time Judy said that if she ‘had her way’ the third movie would ‘be in the can already’ and there ‘had to’ be another movie because people ‘want it.
Abba has also provided the inspiration for the new talent show, Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream (Picture: ITV)
However, in 2020 she said that the pandemic had caused delays with the development of the sequel.
In an interview with BBC Two’s Newsnight in May this year, Abba member Björn Ulvaeus said he would need to be ‘convinced’ by a strong script, but also expressed concerns over if there were still enough songs from the band that could be used after two films.
Presented by Zoe Ball, Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream will be judged by Alan, Jessie Ware, Amber Riley and Samantha Barks.
Audiences will see the contestants mentored by guest industry stars through unique workshops and judged by a panel of well-known industry experts in both music and theatre.
Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream launches on Sunday October 22 at 6pm on ITV1.
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It’s now been 15 years since the first movie hit screens.