There are certain moments in pop culture where you’ll never forget where you were when you found out. Moments like when you learned Elvis had died, or when The Beatles first premiered on Ed Sullivan, or they opened the wrong envelope at the Oscars. Such a moment happened late last night, when the news broke that next year, the world will be given Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (and oh my god, I am only now just getting that).
For those who don’t remember, or are trying to forget, Mamma Mia! was a 2008 movie based on the hit camp musical, telling the story of a woman trying to find out which of three men is her father before her wedding. The catch is all of the songs are from the repertoire of the hit disco band ABBA. While people often forget about it because it opened opposite The Dark Knight, and many critics rank it as one of the worst films of all time, it somehow raked in nearly $700 million dollars worldwide, in a time when that actually meant something. No word on the plot yet, but it seems that most, if not all, of the original cast has returned, including Merly Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dominic Cooper. It will be written and directed by Ol Parker, the man behind The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
I have so many questions about this decision I don’t know where to begin. If I’m being honest, I don’t hate the original, and actually kind of enjoy it. However, you need to understand that this is a deeply ironic love, filled with playful mocking appreciation, and despite my best efforts, I can’t defend how bad all of these singers are, including the three who actually can sing (is it intentional? I’ve argued yes, but honestly, I’m not so sure). However, I still need to understand so many choices going into this decision. What the hell is the plot going to be, since the first one wrapped up so nicely? What songs are they going to use, since they used all of ABBA’s best in the original? And why the hell are they making this film ten years to the day after the original? Didn’t the window on this film pass at least eight years ago? I’m not entirely sure what Universal is thinking, but I’m still willing to show up on July 20, 2018. I always enjoy a good film to mock. In the meantime, enjoy this batsh*t crazy scene, and try to figure out what the hell those Bachelor Party Boys are doing. It’s been ten years and I still have no clue.
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