Mamma Mia 3 Just Got A Major Boost — And A Fan-Favorite Could Be Making A Comeback

Well, here we go again. A third Mamma Mia movie just moved from wishful thinking to 'yep, it’s happening.'

What changed

On the BAFTAs red carpet over the weekend, NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Dame Donna Langley was asked point-blank about a third film. Her answer did not hedge.

"Yes, I’m going to say right now that there will be a Mamma Mia 3."

She also dangled the big question everyone had: could Meryl Streep come back as Donna?

"If Meryl Streep would like to come back, we’ll find a way to bring her back."

That’s a pretty clear signal: if Streep wants in, they’ll make it work.

Quick refresher

Mamma Mia started life in 1999 as a stage musical by playwright Catherine Johnson. It follows a bride-to-be who invites three men to her wedding, any one of whom might be her father. The whole thing runs on ABBA’s songbook and takes its title from the group’s 1975 hit.

The 2008 film adaptation starred Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski. A decade later, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again played both prequel and sequel, jumping forward after the first movie while flashing back to Donna’s early days, with Lily James as the younger version. Most of the original cast returned.

Across two movies, the franchise has cleared the $1 billion mark at the global box office, so another trip to Kalokairi tracks.

Where things stand now

• Studio leadership says Mamma Mia 3 is happening; timing has not been revealed.
• Meryl Streep’s return is on the table if she wants it, per Langley.
• Cast lineup beyond that, plus director and writer, remain unannounced.
• The first two films’ combined gross topping $1 billion makes a follow-up make business sense.