A scene from "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". |
Exactly 10 years after the first "Mamma Mia!" was released in cinemas (even though we only got to watch it a few months later in September!), the hit musical is finally back with a brand new follow-up.
It is no doubt the kind of feel-good movie that we really need in the midst of a summer movie season filled with the superhero genre and effects-laden blockbusters.
As we are ready to sing-a-long witness "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again", here are the 5 things to look out for!
1) Watch Lily James sing
Lily James (middle) will be doing a lot of singing in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". |
Remember when Lily James sang "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" in Disney's live-action "Cinderella" back in 2015? She certainly proved herself to be quite a crooner after all. Now, the stunning 29-year-old English actress who was last seen in "Baby Driver" and "Darkest Hour", will showcase more of her singing ability in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". Expect her to sing some of ABBA's popular hits like "I Have A Dream", "When I Kissed The Teacher", "Andante, Andante" and of course... "Mamma Mia".
2) Cher will perform ABBA songs
Cher plays Donna's mother and Sophie's grandmother, Ruby Sheridan in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". |
Cher who is a legendary music icon best known for hits like "Believe", "I Got You Babe" and "If I Could Turn Back Time" certainly needs no introduction. She may be 72-years-old this year. But whereas most women at that age would settle for good ol' retirement, Cher is still active in showbiz. After all, she will be making her much-anticipated comeback in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" since "Burlesque" back in 2010 (not counting 2011's "Zookeeper" since she only appeared in a voice role). Apart from appearing as what Amanda Seyfried's Sophie refers as "Grandma" in the trailer, Cher will take part (obviously!) in the singing scenes. Among them is her duet with Andy Garcia in "Fernando", as well as "Super Trouper".
3) Is Meryl Streep's Donna Sheridan dead or significantly reduced?
Meryl Streep reprised her role as Donna Sheridan in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". |
When the first trailer made its debut last December, many fans of the first movie were surprised with the lack of Meryl Streep's participation. She was largely absent, other than a few minor glimpses and the fact that she was mentioned in past tense. Even the poster itself it is clearly stated that in the list of ensemble cast she is billed as "and Meryl Streep". This is definitely a far cry from the first movie where she received top billing as the lead actress. But given the fact "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" is more of a prequel filled with extended flashbacks, it's very understandable that we will be seeing more Lily James than Meryl Streep. Still, this begs an all-important question: is Meryl Streep's character killed off... to the point she will appear only in flashback scenes?
4) More ABBA songs will be featured in this movie
Hugh Skinner and Lily James as young Harry and Donna in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". |
Apart from the aforementioned songs in this list, we get to see some of the actors singing other ABBA hits like "Dancing Queen", "Waterloo", "SOS" and "Angeleyes", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "The Name Of The Game", "I've Been Waiting For You", "One Of Us" and "I Wonder (Departure)". Guess we all have to watch the movie to find out exactly how many songs will be included when it opens this coming Thursday on July 19th.
5) Björn Ulvaeus will appear as a cameo
ABBA bandmates Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus |
If you do not know who Björn Ulvaeus is, he's actually one of the co-founders of ABBA alongside Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Anderson. The good news is, the legendary singer and songwriter will make a cameo appearance as a schoolteacher during the singing number, "When I Kissed The Teacher".
Cinema Online, 22 July 2018