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Stellan Skarsgård drops a huge hint about ‘Mamma Mia! 3’ and we are losing it: ‘Meryl Streep is not...’

Stellan Skarsgård's Golden Globes comments have the fans excited about a possible Meryl Streep return in 'Mamma Mia!' 3

'Mamma Mia! 3' could just deliver its most emotional encore so far, with the fans finally seeing Meryl Streep take up the role of our beloved Donna Sheridan in the film. The Academy Award winner's stellar performance in the first film quickly made her a fan favorite, when the sequel, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' was released in 2018. Fans had hoped to see Streep return, but unfortunately, she was largely missing from the action. However, for the third installment of the franchise, actor Stellan Skarsgård has hinted at Streep's possible comeback, and we've never been this excited!

During a backstage interview at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 11, Skarsgård hinted at Streep's return, despite her character being deceased in the storyline, as per Us Weekly. He said, "Everybody can be brought back in the [movies]. In the movies, it's fantastic!" He continued, "A lot of people are working on it to bring [Mamma Mia!] back. She’s not dead, you know! Meryl Streep is not dead!" 

Notably, in the 2008 'Mamma Mia!' film, Streep played Donna Sheridan, Sophie's (Amanda Seyfried) mother. On the other hand, Skarsgård portrayed Bill Anderson, one of Sophie’s three potential fathers. At the same time, most of the original cast returned for the 2018 sequel, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,' but Donna's character had died before the events of the film. However, Streep appears briefly in a dream sequence, with Lily James playing young Donna in flashbacks, as per Parade.

Furthermore, Streep also expressed her interest in returning for 'Mamma Mia!' 3 during a 2024 interview with Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival. She said, "Of course I want to do it. [But] I don't know how they're going to do it. They have an idea. I haven't heard it yet but it's in [my calendar] and I'm going to hear about it pretty soon." She added, "Of course I want to do it. I think folks love it."

Talk of 'Mamma Mia!' 3 began in October 2023, when producer Judy Craymer confirmed to Variety that the project "will happen" eventually. She explained, "I'm in the privileged position that I have Universal Studios wanting to do it, whom I love working with, and I have a storyline. It just always takes a certain amount of time, with [ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus] always taking a certain amount of convincing. I don't know how much more convincing they’re going to have because everybody wants another film."

Meanwhile, Seyfried addressed ongoing questions about 'Mamma Mia 3' at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. She said there is still no concrete update on the third movie, telling  Collider's Aidan Kelley, "No" when asked for an update. She jokingly added to "ask Stellan [Skarsgård].” She noted that "Stellan saw our producer though recently," suggesting some movement behind the scenes. While she confirmed in the past having not "seen a script,” Seyfried reiterated her enthusiasm for a third film and previously hinted at her interest in having pop star Sabrina Carpenter play her on-screen daughter.