Here’s Why Amanda Seyfried Took a Swipe at $7B Fast & Furious While Pushing Mamma Mia 3

Amanda Seyfried is back on the Mamma Mia! train, and she is not being coy about it. She wants a third movie, she thinks it would be dumb not to make it, and yes, she even tossed a little shade at another never-ending franchise while she was at it.

Where things stand with Mamma Mia! 3

On the December 12 episode of Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast, Seyfried said she recently talked with Rita Wilson — who executive produces the Mamma Mia! films with her husband Tom Hanks (you also know her from Sleepless in Seattle) — and got a hopeful update.

"Mamma Mia 3 is not off the table."

"It is burning a hole through the table."

That last line is Seyfried's, and she kept going. The cliff notes: it would be silly if this doesn't happen, they keep making Fast and Furious movies, we've already done two Mamma Mias, Meryl Streep is available, and she just wants to get back on an island with Christine Baranski — whom she called a goddess.

The current tea, in order

• Dec. 12, Awards Circuit: Seyfried says Rita Wilson told her Mamma Mia 3 is "not off the table," and she pushes hard for it — name-checking Meryl Streep and joking about Fast and Furious still going.
• Earlier this year, The Hollywood Reporter: Christine Baranski said she met producer Judy Craymer in London at their regular spot, and Craymer is actively planning a third film. Baranski says Craymer even walked her through the story and adds that Craymer "makes things happen" — she willed the second film into existence, which turned into a big hit.
• At the Governors Awards, Seyfried called a third movie a "done deal" to Entertainment Tonight. Not official, but she is clearly manifesting it.

Who would be back, and who might be new

Seyfried is all-in on returning as Sophie and wants to see her as a mom on screen. She also floated two buzzy names for fresh blood: Sabrina Carpenter as a long-lost cousin and Sydney Sweeney popping up somewhere in the mix. Conveniently, Seyfried can also be caught starring alongside Sweeney in a psychological thriller called The Housemaid.

A quick refresher on the first two movies

The original 2008 Mamma Mia! was a stacked ensemble: Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Stellan Skarsgard — the whole karaoke dream team. The 2018 follow-up, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, added Lily James and landed well with both critics and audiences. So yeah, there is a track record for this actually working.

The vibe

Seyfried is basically campaigning in public at this point, and the people who can make it happen are dropping hints that they want to. If Judy Craymer is really plotting it out and Meryl is game, it feels less like wishful thinking and more like a matter of timing. And honestly, if other franchises can run forever on fumes, one more ABBA vacation sounds fine by me.

Mamma Mia! is streaming on Prime Video if you want to pregame.