Are the stars finally about to align for Mamma Mia 3?

By George! It seems the production team is set to return with another installment of Mamma Mia. Producer Judy Craymer has been discussing the possibility of a third film for close to five years, inspired by the massive success of the first two movies in 2008 and 2018.

She’s had a long-held dream that these films become a trilogy. Now it seems they’re on the verge of getting the go-ahead, with Universal endorsing the concept, along with the approval of nearly all key actors, except for one or two.

A source said: ‘There are two principals who are sticking, but otherwise we are ready to go ahead.’

It was mentioned that the third movie could potentially feature fresh tunes from ABBA, a group whose latest album, titled “Voyage,” came out in 2021 and includes the hit single “I Still Have Faith In You.

The movie “Mamma Mia!” that features a romantic comedy about jukeboxes was helmed by Phyllida Lloyd. This cinematic adaptation originated from the 1999 stage musical, which Judy Craymer conceived and developed.

As an ardent admirer, allow me to recount the captivating narrative of a heartwarming tale. I found myself immersed in a story where a radiant bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) extended invitations to her trio of potential paternal figures: Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgard. The wedding also brought together the bride’s mother Donna (Meryl Streep), a charismatic singer-turned-hotelier, along with Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, her longtime bandmates from days gone by.

Are the stars finally about to align for Mamma Mia 3?

As a lifestyle enthusiast, let me share an intriguing tale from my travels. I had the pleasure of experiencing the captivating charm of the Greek island of Skopelos, where a little film magic was born. This movie, titled “Mamma Mia!”, became a global phenomenon, earning an impressive $611 million against a humble budget of $52 million. The success story didn’t end there; the cast graciously reunited for “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, with the talented Lily James bringing vibrant life to a young Donna.

In a 2023 interview, Craymer expressed confidence about the third movie, stating: “I’m fortunate enough to have Universal Studios eager to make it happen. I also have a plot in mind. Usually, Bjorn and Benny need some persuading, but…

had Abba Voyage and then they wanted a rest from Abba stuff. But it will happen.’

It appears that Craymer recently held discussions with all the main actors such as Brosnan, Streep, and Baranski during the previous summer. In May at Cannes, Streep, who portrayed a ghost in the 2018 film, mentioned she would be meeting with the producer soon to discuss potential ideas.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last November, Brosnan expressed his openness to revisiting the world of Mamma Mia!, saying he’d be more than happy for the chance.

As a devoted fan, I find myself echoing the words of caution from Seyfried, who expressed her sentiments to Vogue last year. ‘There’s no definite ‘no’, but there’s also no enthusiastic ‘yes’. The higher-ups might not be able to afford us, truth be told. It pains me to say it, but would I perform in Mamma Mia 3 without compensation? Absolutely. However, that’s not the realm of our industry. Fairness matters, and I believe a third film will ultimately hinge on something as trivial as whether or not Universal is willing to shell out the necessary funds.’

Extreme dad dancing

Watching The Full Monty again recently proved distressing for lead actor Mark Addy, as he watched the film alongside his now adult children.

The children peered at it using their hands, and it seemed undeniably terrifying to them as they watched their father strip, presumably finding the situation disturbing.

‘They got it in the end, I think, but it wasn’t an easy watch for any of us!’

In the fresh, second season of Prime’s chilling thriller The Rig, Addy continues to portray hard-edged character David Coake. However, he’s come to terms with the reality that he can’t break free from the film’s grasp.

28 years have passed, yet I continue to be recognized at the grocery store, where people say, “I wouldn’t have known it was you without your clothes on.” (This version aims to keep the humor and essence of the original sentence while improving readability.)

Mysterious Melania is ready for her close up

Cameras are rolling on a docufilm about Melania Trump, the President-elect’s enigmatic wife.

It has been speculated that the future First Lady may stand to gain a significant portion of the $40 million budget for the upcoming movie. This means that the unnamed film could potentially bring in a substantial profit for her, as she is both the lead actress and an executive producer.

Born as Melanija Knavs, the Slovenian ex-model now serves as Donald Trump’s third wife and the mother of their son Baron. She has garnered intrigue due to her apparent independent lifestyle that often appears separate from her spouse.

The movie is being granted access to Prime Video, offering an exceptional glimpse into her personal life events that have never been seen before. A representative stated: ‘Prime Video will disclose further information as filming continues and the release schedule is set. We are thrilled to bring this one-of-a-kind tale to our vast audience.’

It should come out towards the end of this year.

The movie is helmed by Brett Ratner, who hasn’t been involved in Hollywood projects since allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him by six women. These accusations were brought to light during the ‘Me Too’ movement, and he has since denied them.

It will get a run in cinemas and then go to Prime Video.

Confessions of the Bafta hot shots

This week, the actors nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award have been discussing their most cringe-worthy incidents they’ve encountered in their careers thus far.

Marisa Abela, who was nominated for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse in the movie “Amy”, finds herself embarrassed by the recollection of an independent video audition she submitted for a cookie commercial.

She mentioned that she recorded a self-tape at home for an Italian biscuit company amidst the Covid pandemic, as her agents advised, “Since it’s Covid, go ahead!” This involved filming herself consuming ten biscuits.

David Jonsson, who received a nomination for his portrayal of the android Andy in Alien: Romulus, mentioned that he worked on a film titled Rye Lane, which happened to be the debut project of director Raine Allen-Miller. She showed remarkable apprehension during the process.

Among her notes I cherish, one particularly stood out: “Could you improve on this?” Hearing that, I felt enlightened, knowing precisely what she expected.

At the Bafta Film Awards, scheduled for February 16th, the recipient of the “Rising Star” award will be unveiled. This honor is bestowed upon an individual following a public voting process.

The next Bond

There’s been a surge of wagers suggesting Josh O’Connor as the next James Bond. Known for winning both a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role as Prince Charles in The Crown, O’Connor was captivating – and appealing – opposite Zendaya in Challengers.

As a devoted fan following the latest cinematic events, it appears that despite the disappointing reception of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s recent film Kraven, his prospects are looking brighter as he moves forward in the competition to assume the role of the next James Bond.

Bookies William Hill have him at 8/11, followed by Theo James, then Aaron T-J.

Priyanka: I’d like to thank you, and you… but not you

Wrapping up filming for the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s expensive spy series Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, usually brings a feeling of relief. However, it appears that this sense of relief might have been stronger in this case.

The program concluded just prior to Christmas, and Chopra Jonas cheerfully posted: “I finished filming Citadel Season 2! This year has been quite a rollercoaster ride for me, but being enveloped in such love and encouragement simplifies everything.

Instead, you might say: Her post made no reference to her co-star Madden, who portrays the character Mason Kane, a past love interest of Nadia Sinh, played by Chopra Jonas.

Actually, the character portrayed as a former super-spy with erased memories, who later re-enters the world of espionage, is absent from all the photos and tags within that particular post.

According to what I’ve heard, the duo initially had trouble working together on the first season’s set, and matters became challenging, even tricky, during their promotional tour. This was a well-known fact among many people.

Madden seldom tags his co-star on Instagram; he did it just once, back in April last year, to announce the start of the series.

He shared a solo photo from a hotel in Mumbai during the show’s launch, and later posted a picture with his co-star Stanley Tucci on a talk show. There was no mention of Priyanka.

On this occasion, Chopra Jonas appears radiantly smiling and warmly hugging fellow actors Anisha Gibbs and Carla Jean Heron, yet there’s no trace of Madden. Additionally, she shares clips showing Stanley Tucci mixing cocktails in his trailer for her and companions – once more, Madden is conspicuously absent.

The Western world initially found the spy series less captivating, yet it became extremely popular in India, largely due to the fame of Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Currently, it stands as one of Prime Video’s most prized possessions. Jennifer Salke, the head honcho, views it as an alternative to the Bond franchise – quite convenient given the rocky relationship with Eon Productions, the creators of Bond, which has led to a prolonged absence in the Bond universe that shows no signs of resolution at present.

Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, has introduced two new series, titled “Citadels: Honey Bunny” (based in India) and “Diana” (based in Italy), as their latest spin-offs.

Nick Park: Mice ate my rocket ship!

Nick Park, the mastermind behind Wallace & Gromit, has crafted movies featuring his renowned canine character, along with chickens, sheep, and a mischievous penguin.

However, it was actually a mouse infestation that led to the demise of one of his most renowned inventions – the rocket ship from his initial Wallace & Gromit production, A Grand Day Out, which debuted in 1989.

Park explained: ‘I owned a part of that rocket for detailed shots. I stored it in my attic for some time and accidentally forgot about it. Upon rediscovering it, mice had gnawed away at all the rivets since they were made of split peas. They managed to chew through the paint and completely remove all the rivets.’

Good news for Kevin Costner

At long last, some positive news for Kevin Costner: His struggling cowboy saga, “Horizon Part 1,” initially flopped in theaters so much that follow-up plans were canceled, is now thriving on Netflix.

In its initial week of streaming, the film that lasted for 3 hours and 1 minute ranked 7th worldwide and 3rd in the U.S., amassing a total of 4 million views.

Despite its grand debut at the Cannes Film Festival this past spring, the film managed to earn only $31 million worldwide on a production budget of $100 million.

Painfully, $38 million of that came from Costner’s own pocket.

Probably even more painfully, last year he got divorced from his wife Christine Baumgartner.

No rest for the Wicked team…

After a less-than-stellar performance at the Golden Globes, Wicked plans to intensify its efforts for the upcoming Oscars.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but express my disappointment that Cynthia Erivo didn’t clinch the win, seeing her rival Demi Moore take the spotlight instead. Similarly, Ariana Grande missed the mark, with Zoe Saldana taking her place in the limelight. The movie itself also faced a tough challenge, ultimately losing out to Emilia Perez’s masterpiece. Now, both Emilia’s creation and “The Brutalist” stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the race for the Oscars.

Voting for Oscar nominations commenced on Wednesday and is scheduled to be revealed on January 19. However, due to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, the announcement has been rescheduled by two days.

After being acquired and restructured by billionaire Todd Boehly, it is open for debate about the significance and reflection of the Globes awards.

Back in the day, it was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (comprised of foreign journalists), who would cast their votes, and funds were gathered for charitable causes.

Currently, the event operates with a profit-focused approach, and it’s important to note that those who vote are financially supported by Boehly. He isn’t just the owner of Chelsea Football Club; he also controls Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline – well-known media outlets in the trade press. Furthermore, Boehly has an investment in A24, a prominent film production company that recently garnered recognition with “The Brutalist” winning Best Picture and Adrien Brody earning Best Actor this year.

2025-01-10 01:57

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