The music stylings of ABBA, including the soundtrack of the Mamma Mia movies, have become wedding dance floor staples. But what happens when one of the cast members of the popular musical is actually in attendance when one of those catchy songs drops? Meryl Streep experienced it while attending John Krasinski and Emily Blunt’s wedding, and her reaction sounds like it was priceless.

Blunt and Krasinski’s relationship kicked off back in 2008 after Krasinski was already “obsessed” with The Devil Wears Prada. Two years after their rom-com-like meeting, they tied the knot at George Clooney’s estate in Lake Como, Italy, back in July 2010. While it was certainly a star-studded affair – with the likes of Matt Damon, Stanley Tucci and Clooney in attendance – apparently everyone was really “freaking out” over Meryl Streep being there. Here’s a funny story about one thing that happened, according to Blunt:

The anecdote came up on Jimmy Kimmel Live since the host had been at the wedding, too. Meryl Streep sounds like she was an amazing sport about the whole thing, but ultimately dancing to a song from her own movie sounds like it might have been a bit embarrassing for her.

No matter, Krasinski and Blunt’s moms have the best wedding story, and it’s kind of perfect given the movie is called Mamma Mia after all! I wonder if anyone in the Blunt and Krasinki family has pictures of the moms dancing with Streep in one of their homes?

Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt met while making 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada when Blunt was just 22 years old. The actress has previously recalled being very nervous about starring in the movie alongside the Oscar winner, but when she gave a “little chortle” at one of her line deliveries during the table read, it gave her the reassurance she needed.

Streep and Blunt recently got to reunite as their The Devil Wears Prada characters for the sequel, which was a smash hit at the box office. The movie has made $610 million globally in the past month against a reported production budget of $100 million. Worldwide, it’s the No. 5 highest-grossing movie of the year so far.

Blunt has another film on the 2026 movie release calendar on the way in June in the form of Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day. It hits theaters on June 12.

Movie musicals are a tried and true genre in the film world, just look at how much money Wicked made recently. While the Mamma Mia! movies didn't join the ranks of musicals that won Best Picture, they were both wildly successful. There's been chatter about a threequel for years, and a Universal exec recently offered some encouraging news. But could Meryl Streep return as Donna?

Mammia Mia! Here We Go Again was set after Donna died, with Streep only getting a brief cameo during its runtime. Ever since then there have been calls for a threequel, with Amanda Seyfried wanting Sydney Sweeney to join the fun. In a conversation with Deadline, NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Dame Donna Langley seemingly confirmed we'll get another sequel, saying:

Talk about exciting. It seems like the studio has heard fans calling for another Mamma Mia! movie, and a third movie is going to happen eventually. And Judy Craymer, who created the original stage musical and its sequel movie, will once again be the creative force adapting ABBA's music into a new movie musical. So while it's still early, it looks like Mamma Mia! 3 is in good hands.

The cast has expressed interest in a third Mamma Mia! for years, so this news from Langley is likely going to be thrilling to both them and the fans. Later in the same interview, she spoke about whether or not Meryl Streep might be back, offering:

That's certainly a hopeful message. While Streep's return as Donna might be narratively challenging given the character's death, it sounds like the studio would love to have the Oscar-winning actress back in her most famous movie musical role.

Amanda Seyfried has been determined to get the threequel made, so I'm curious to see if/how she responds to these thrilling comments. She lead both of the first two movies as Sophie, with the sequel tackling her grief over Donna's offscreen death. It's already been a number of year since Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again hit theaters in 2018, so Universal might want to pick up the pace in order to book the full cast. After all, everyone is getting older.

It's currently unclear when Mamma Mia! 3 will arrive, but hopefully it's soon. But since it's not on the 2026 movie release list, we might have to try and be patient. Fingers crossed that active development starts soon.

It has been nearly 20 years since Mamma Mia! hit the big screen and proved that people will come out in droves to see a film adaptation of a hit Broadway musical, even if it centers around the music of ABBA. We got a follow-up in 2018 with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, both a prequel and a sequel wrapped into one, that was just as big a hit and left the door open for more to come. So, what’s going on with the long-rumored Mamma Mia 3?

Though nothing has been confirmed and no story elements have been divulged quite yet, the Mamma Mia! cast, some members anyway, have been quite outspoken about a third musical. If you’re a fan of the franchise and want to know what folks like Amanda Seyfried and Stellan Skarsgard have said about a third movie, you’re in the right place. After this, you may be asking, “Here we go again?”

Amanda Seyfried Said It Would Be 'Silly' If Mamma Mia 3 Doesn't Happen

The loudest voice behind the calls for a third Mamma Mia! movie has been coming from a likely voice: Amanda Seyfried. For quite some time now, the actress, who played bride-to-be Sophie in the first film and an expecting mother in the 2018 sequel, has been talking about the franchise with anyone who’d listen. From telling CinemaBlend in March 2025 that “Mamma Mia 3 will be madness” and that the film would happen “within the next 12 years,” to coming up with great casting options, Seyfried wants to make this happen.

In December 2025, the Housemaid actress told Variety that it “would be so silly” if Mamma Mia 3 didn’t happen. Seyfried, who seemed to be having fun with the chat, pointed out that they keep making Fast & Furious movies in her argument, and she has a point there. She also said she just wants to get on an island with Christine Baranski again, whom she called “one of the goddesses of our time.”

Speaking of which…

Christine Baranski Sounded Afraid To Discuss The Matter In June 2025

When speaking with Vanity Fair back in June 2025, Baranski, who has played Tanya Chesham-Leigh since the beginning, sounded like she was afraid of saying something and going viral. The Gilded Age and Good Wife star recalled an earlier incident where she talked about getting drinks with one of the film’s producers that turned into a big frenzy and gave the world the impression that something was happening when it wasn’t.

While Baranski did admit that there was a lot of talk about a Mamma Mia 3 and that she had a desire to go back and do it all over again, she made sure to stress that there was no greenlight yet. Near the end of the conversation, she stressed that “It’s all aspirational" in regards to a new sequel.

Pierce Brosnan Teased The Movie In An Indirect Way That Same Summer

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Mamma Mia! franchise has been the identity of Sophie’s biological father. While it’s heavily implied that Pierce Brosnan’s Sam Carmichael is the dad, Colin Firth’s Harry Bright and Stellan Skarsgard’s Bill Anderson have never been eliminated. So, when The Hollywood Reporter asked Brosnan to end the debate, he didn’t want to touch the subject, instead saying, “You’ll have to wait for the next movie.”

Was that some kind of confirmation by the former James Bond actor that another movie was happening and that he’ll be involved? Don’t get too excited, as Brosnan didn’t follow up on the comment or reveal any additional details. That said, it doesn’t feel like he would just joke about that for no reason. We shall see…

Stellan Skarsgard Teased The Threequel After Winning A Golden Globe

In January 2026, Amanda Seyfried gave what would be considered a disappointing update when she deferred commenting on Mamma Mia 3 and told Collider to ask Stellan Skarsgard about the movie instead. Well, the decorated actor wasted no time addressing the project after taking home the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his turn in Sentimental Value at the Golden Globe Awards. In fact, he didn’t just talk about the movie; he teased a return for Meryl Streep.

Speaking with Us Weekly, Skarsgard started off by saying that “a lot of people are working on it to bring it back” before jumping into some sly comments about Streep coming back despite her character, Donna, having died between the events of the first and second movies. Saying “Meryl Streep is not dead,” the franchise staple made it seem like anything could happen. Let’s hope he’s right!

Colin Firth Has Previously Said He'd Return For A Third Movie

All of these comments come a few years after Colin Firth addressed the rumors of Mamma Mia 3, a franchise he has said he’d return to in a heartbeat. During a May 2022 appearance on Good Morning America, where he was promoting The Staircase, the Academy Award winner was asked about the possibility of the franchise continuing, to which he said he thought it could happen.

Though he didn’t provide any details about the movie or say if he had heard anything about a potential story, Firth did admit that a third movie would be possible since they had already pulled off a miracle by making a sequel back in 2018. If anything, he said he’d do it “if people wanted it,” and that he would film it just to see his friends again.

Only time will tell if Mamma Mia 3 ends up happening, but it seems more likely than not that we’ll be watching the stacked cast singing songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Waterloo,” and all those other ABBA classics sooner or later. Let’s hope it’s the former…

If anything, this gives us more than enough reason to go back and rewatch Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, so we’re all caught up when news comes out.

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried are both A-list actors, so when I saw that they were working together on the book to screen adaptation The Housemaid, I was instantly invested. The movie is helmed by Paul Feig, and The Housemaid's trailer showed off their chemistry. But fans want to see them collaborate on another project: Mamma Mia! 3. The stars have seen those calls on social media, and Seyfried actually has a A+ idea the possible movie musical.

Seyfried has been trying to get Mamma Mia! 3 to happen for a while, but there's been no real steps forward. She recently stepped into a very different movie musical role with The Testament of Ann Lee, earning her a Golden Globe nomination in the process. But fans want the Mean Girls star back as Sophie, and specifically are hoping Sydney Sweeney get to join the fun in a threequel. As you can see in the video above, I spoke with the pair of actresses about The Housemaid, where I asked the star of Euphoria (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) if she'd seen the fan chatter online. She responded, saying:

Not only has Sweeney seen the fan casting, but she would actively like to join the Mamma Mia! franchise if/when a third movie is developed. Her co-star is also all-in on this idea, and thinks that the Christy star knows and loves the world enough to fit right in. Plus it would give the two Housemaid stars the chance to work on another (much lighter) movie together.

While not everyone wants a Mamma Mia 3! to happen, I'm all in on the idea... especially since these two actresses have so much passion for it. Later in our same interview, Amanda Seyfried shared another brilliant idea for the possible sequel, telling me:

Honestly, take my money at this point. Paul Feig is an accomplished filmmaker, one who seemingly had a great working relationship with both Seyfried and Sweeney throughout their thriller. So why not bring the trio to Greece for another movie musical full of Abba songs?

Of course, there's currently no indication that a third Mamma Mia! movie is happening, despite the interest from its cast and fans alike. But Amanda Seyfried wants to make it happen, as long as the studio hurries up and started the development process. As she told me:

Points were made. The first Mamma Mia! movie hit theaters back in 2008, with the sequel Here We Go Again arriving years later in 2018. If a third movie actually gets written, we could very well reach another decade-long wait between movies. And with its cast getting older, time is seemingly of the essence.

While it remains to be seen if they ever film in Greece together, Seyfried and Sweeney seem to throughly enjoy each other, while both filming and promoting The Housemaid. We'll just have to see if/when they get to do another movie together.

The Housemaid gets its wide theatrical release December 19th as part of the 2025 movie release list. And if the movie does well hopefully we'll get another collaboration between its two stars and director Paul Feig. After all, there are three books to adapt into film.

There are a ton of dramatic and funny stories that come from the lives of single parents. Movies and TV shows have often leaned into relationships like this across basically every genre. Sometimes they are fun and funny, and sometimes, just like real life, they are serious or heartbreaking. This list doesn't separate them, as it all adds to the rich tapestry of life. Here's our list of great movies and TV shows about the lives of single parents.

Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire is a movie that kind of defies genre, but at its heart, it's certainly a romance story. One of the best parts of the movie is the performance of child actor Jonathan Lipnicki, who plays an only child living with his single mother (at least at the beginning of the movie). Renée Zellweger, of course, plays his mother, whose faith in Jerry (Tom Cruise) pays off big time for everyone.

Diff'rent Strokes

In Diff'rent Strokes, Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain) is already a widowed parent of two kids when he takes in two more kids, Willis (Todd Bridges) and Arnold (Gary Coleman). The two kids upend the lives of the rich family on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, much to the delight of audiences of the Gen X classic.

The Sound Of Music

If all you know about The Sound of Music is that the hills are alive, you might not realize that it's about a single father raising his seven children in Austria. Maria, played by the legendary Julie Andrews, is hired to help Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and she brings so much more to the table.

Gilmore Girls

One of the most popular TV shows about a single mom and her relationship with her daughter is unquestionably Gilmore Girls. The show gained a very loyal following over its seven-season run, and it remains incredibly popular with the people who were drawn to it in the first place.

Mom

There are really two kinds of family sitcoms in TV history, one side is the idyllic family with perfect relationships, personified by shows like The Cosby Show and The Brady Bunch, and the other is more dysfunctional families, like Married with Children. Mom, starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris, definitely falls into the latter category. Still, at least until Faris left the show, it was hilarious.

Sleepless In Seattle

Rom-coms like the '90s classic Sleepless in Seattle are always fertile ground to explore single-parent/child relationships. In the movie, Tom Hanks is a widower raising his son who grabs the attention of a journalist (Meg Ryan) after his son calls a radio talk show looking for a partner for his dad. It's a sweet story, of course, and the dynamic between father and son is so darn wholesome! It helps make it one of the best rom-coms of all time.

The Single Moms Club

The Tyler Perry joint The Single Moms Club is a unique take here. It doesn't follow one single mom, but five. The five, who have little in common beyond their marital status, find themselves thrown together planning an event at their kids' school because all of their kids keep getting in trouble. It plays out pretty much as you expect, but it is charming at times.

Forrest Gump

I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for Forrest Gump. I think it's overwrought Boomer nostalgia (albeit with a great soundtrack). However, the one piece of the story I do think is well done is the relationship between Forrest (Tom Hanks) and his mother, played by Sally Field. Forrest's mom's determination to give Forrest as normal a life is actually inspiring, despite all the silliness that follows in Forrest's life. D- movie, A+ relationship.

Arrested Development

The dynamic between Michael (Jason Bateman) and his son George Michael (Michael Cera) is one of the key components that makes Arrested Development one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. Bateman plays the straight man in the show, surrounded by completely ridiculous family members, and George Michael is definitely among them, even if he is trying a little harder than the rest of the family to be a good person.

Erin Brockovich

Julia Roberts plays the real-life Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name, and while her status as a single mother is only tangentially explored in the movie, it's the whole reason the character (and the real woman) ended up in a position to do what she did. Never underestimate a determined single mother!

Stranger Things

I have a complicated relationship with Stranger Things. I think the plot is brilliant and I love the stories, but I am on record as a Gen Xer who is annoyed with Gen X nostalgia. Obviously, the show, available with a Netflix subscription, fits the bill for this list, no matter how I feel about it.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

"Single Parent" might not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think about the Terminator franchise, but the relationship between Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John (Edward Furlong) is critical to the series, and no more so than in the second installment, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It's certainly not a traditional mother/son relationship.

Julia

You might not be familiar with the ABC sitcom Julia, but it was one of the most groundbreaking television shows of all time. Diahann Carroll, who played Julia, a single mother of a son, changed TV forever, both as a female lead in a sitcom and as an African-American actor as the lead in any show. The fact that she was a single mom is yet another way she broke new ground.

Mamma Mia!

Like a few other movies on this list, Mamma Mia! might not jump off the page as a single-parent story, but, of course, it is. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried play mother and daughter, and, like others on this list as well, it's about the daughter hoping to set up the parent with a new partner.

The Parent Trap

I just had to include The Parent Trap. It's not about one single parent, but two! Sure, they were once married to each other, and sure, the plot, when you really look at it, is, frankly, disturbing. Like, why were two twins separated at birth and never told of the other one? How was this the deal that the demented parent came up with? Still, whether it's the original or the remake, everyone loves the movies, including me.

Maid In Manhattan

The Jennifer Lopez hit Maid in Manhattan is one of the trope-ier movies on this list. It kind of checks all the boxes for a standard rom-com, yet somehow it is still incredibly fun. Lopez plays a single mom trying to make it in the big city and... well... there's a rich guy, and yadda yadda yadda.

Ginny And Georgia

Almost immediately, Ginny & Georgia drew comparisons to The Gilmore Girls, and it's easy to see why. The dynamic between teen daughter Ginny and her mother, Georgia, is very similar to the one between Rory and Lorelai.

Reba

Not only was Reba one of the best shows set in the South, it also firmly belongs on this list as a great show about a single parent. The show stars Country music icon Reba McEntire as a mother of three whose husband leaves her for a younger woman, and she is left to pick up the pieces.

Panic Room

One of the more underrated David Fincher movies, Panic Room is a true thriller about a mother and daughter. Jodie Foster plays a mother who moves into a new house with her young daughter after a divorce. On their first night in the new (very nice) brownstone, some burglars break in. Luckily, there's a panic room! Okay, it doesn't sound great when you break it down like that, but like most of Fincher's movies, it's actually pretty great.

Parenthood

While it's loosely based on the 1989 movie of the same name, the television show Parenthood is quite a bit different from the movie. On the show, Lauren Graham plays Sarah, the single mother of two working on a bartender's salary. There are other parents, of course, Sarah's siblings, who aren't single, but Lauren's story is key to the show.

One Day At A Time

One Day At A Time, which was later rebooted in the 2010s, starred Bonnie Franklin as a single mother struggling to raise her teenage daughters in a small apartment in Indianapolis. It was a cornerstone show for anyone who grew up in the '70s and '80s, as it was a staple of reruns in syndication after its nine-season run on CBS.

Full House

Well, you knew I had to include Full House on this show. Even though I was personally a little too old to get into this show when it was on, I certainly recognize the cultural impact of the Tanner family and the stars that this show produced, including Bob Saget as Danny Tanner, the widowed father of DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle.

One Fine Day

Just when George Clooney was really becoming George Clooney, he starred in the rom-com One Fine Day alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer plays a single mom struggling with her ex to raise their child. Enter Clooney's character, Jack, who is also recently divorced, and after a series of hijinks, the two end up finding love with each other. Yeah, it's as cheesy as it sounds, but Pfeiffer and Clooney make it work better than it should.

Shameless

Shameless was never ashamed to show the dark side of a dysfunctional family, and no family in TV history has been as messed up as the Gallaghers. At the top of the heap of screwups is Frank, the hapless, drunk father played brilliantly by William H. Macy. You can't help but love this group of misfits.

Overboard

One of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood is the one between Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In the '80s, they teamed up a few times, and one of the best has to be Overboard. Hawn plays a snobby, rich woman with amnesia, and Russell plays a working-class guy who is raising his kids on his own. He devises a plan (that is quite disturbing in hindsight) to trick Hawn into living with the family. Hilarity ensues.

The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show is the quintessential show based in the South, and it's easy to forget, unless you watched it, that Andy was a single father raising Opie (Ron Howard). Sure, he had Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) there to help out, but he was a single dad, and that was pretty rare on TV in the '60s.

No Reservations

Yet another rom-com on this list, No Reservations, is about Kate, a hard-charging chef played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, who becomes guardian for her niece (Abigail Breslin) when her sister is killed in a car crash. She finds a way through her grief with a new sous chef who threatens her job, but opens up her heart, played by Aaron Eckhart.

My Three Sons

One of the earliest examples of a TV show about a single parent is the 1960s classic My Three Sons, starring Fred MacMurray as a single dad with, you guessed it, three sons. It's all right there in the title!

Mommie Dearest

When I was a kid, my mom loved to make fun of Joan Crawford (hey, it was a thing), and that was in large part due to this movie, Mommie Dearest. While the movie hasn't held up, it certainly tells a disturbing story of a single mom (Crawford, played by Faye Dunaway), raising her two kids in terror. I watched it too many times as a kid, and I still hate wire hangers.

Who's The Boss?

There isn't just one single parent in Who's The Boss?, there are two. Tony Danza plays...Tony, a single father to Sam (Alyssa Milano), who becomes a live-in maid for Angela (Judith Light,) who is helped by her mother Mona (Katherine Helmond) in raising her son Jonathan (Danny Pintauro). It may not be one of the best sitcoms ever, but it's a classic show for anyone in Gen X.

Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies is filled with complicated family dynamics, including Shailene Woodley as a single mom to Ziggy (Iain Armitage).

We Bought A Zoo

I simply had to include this one. Most people don't really like the Matt Damon movie We Bought A Zoo, but I must have been in just the right mood for it's syrupy sweet vibe when I first saw, so I love it. It's not the best movie on this list, but I really do find it cute. And like every other movie and TV show on this list, it's about a single parent!

Mamma Mia just became available for those with a Netflix subscription again, which means a lot of people are going to be rewatching the beloved musical, and talking about it. As a longtime fan of both Mamma Mia movies, I want to get into the ongoing dad debate, because my blunt take is that it just doesn’t matter, despite people loving to argue about it.

I Need To Talk About The Ongoing Dad Debate In Mamma Mia

If you’re out of the loop here, Mamma Mia revolves around Amanda Seyfried’s Sophie finding her mom Donna’s diary from when she was a young woman. There she finds out that she had flings with three men around the same time right before she got pregnant with her. As Sophie gets ready to get married, she decides to invite all three of them to her big day in Greece, and they all come! As you can imagine, Donna is incredibly surprised to see them all again, and hijinks ensue.

The three possible fathers are Pierce Brosnan’s Sam, Colin Firth’s Harry and Stellan Skarsgard’s Bill (ugh, I still can’t get over how good the Mamma Mia cast is!). By the time the first movie and the sequel ends, we still have no idea which one is Sophie’s biological father, and it’s never been officially revealed. Pierce Brosnan recently shared that a third movie could finally divulge this information as chatter continues for Mamma Mia 3 – including questions about how the heck Meryl Streep would come back, but I honestly don't want to know.

Look I get why it’s interesting to people to theorize who Sophie’s actual dad is. I just read a Reddit thread that attempted to math it all out down to the day, but the more I’ve watched it I’ve personally given up on it, because I think knowing who the dad is actually missing the point of the movies.

I Think Something Else Is More Interesting Than Which One Her Dad Is

So technically if the movie was actually interested in telling us about Sophie’s dad, they’d have all the men take DNA tests, and there the answer would be, but notice how that’s never happened? I think it’s because the writers know that it’s more interesting that Sophie bringing Donna’s flings together to Greece and them all becoming this weird found family is way more interesting. I love how Bill ends up with Donna’s friend Rosie, and Donna and Sam end up falling back in love as a result of the whole thing. And, Harry might have a thing with Petros?

I think one of the reasons why I love this movie so much, is how it handles its three dads. The movie actually celebrates Donna being sexually adventurous and having multiple lovers when she was young, and her life turning into this dreamlike musical ride even though she was single and without a partner for most of her life.

It’s very rare for a piece of media to turn a young woman’s sexual coming-of-age this way. While sure, each of the men must be curious about which one of them it is, I love more how they become good friends with each other and everyone in Donna’s circle, and they all kind of mentally adopt Sophie because they were each charmed by Donna so much in their younger years. It totally defies the common trope of men walking out on women they randomly get pregnant, and it just makes for such a fun storyline. None of them actually raised Sophie anyway, but knowing they all stepped up when she needed them kind of make them all her dads, and that's sweeter to me than one of them being the dad.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be watching Mamma Mia again for the millionth time soon, and not bothering with this dad debate.

The question of whether or not Mamma Mia 3 is in the works has been up in the air since 2020. Yet many of the movie musical’s stars, from Christine Baranski to Cher, have been hyping up the possibility and weighing in on the buzz of the maybe threequel. But recently, Baranski has changed her tune about piping up about the continuation of the ABBA-based world due to past experiences.

The 73-year-old chatted with Vanity Fair about plenty, including her 2025 TV guide titles, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Gilded Age (available to stream with your Hulu account and Max account, respectively). And naturally, after moving through her present projects, she was asked about the possibility of Mamma Mia 3. Baranski was quick to acknowledge that she knows people want to know, but remained vague and alluded to the threequel has no solid legs to stand on as of now, as she said:

I can’t blame The Good Wife alum for keeping a relatively zipped lip after her last experience discussing the topic. It’s interesting, though, that Pierce Brosnan's paternal tease, along with the small parade of comments from his peers that made production sound a little more concrete. Then again, Amanda Seyfried's efforts and determination for MM3 to get that go-ahead have made it pretty clear nothing has been promised just yet.

As a follow-up, Baranski was asked about her lack of social media and the internet’s hype surrounding Mamma Mia!’s wrap party. Her response laid out the backstory to the viral photo collection of the cast partying after hours, noting it was quite the evening with a very special guest. She shared:

That series of pics is the definition of parasocial FOMO for me and any Mamma Mia! lover. Between hobnobbing with the partygoers in attendance and having a member of ABBA on hand to perform so everyone can all dance the night away on a Greek island sounds like a real dream. And, maybe, the best part of it all was that phones weren’t as embedded into everyday life as they are today.

As the 2025 movie calendar stands, and some have mixed feelings about Mamma Mia 3 happening, the question of whether or not the threequel will actually get rolling remains. It’ll be interesting to watch Baranski and co. continue to talk about the possibilities of the third flick and how open they are about the subject.

Why? Why does Hollywood keep doing this?

I may not like the fact that most movies at the box office are sequels, reboots, and remakes. I’ve discussed it time and again. The Disney-live action remakes haven’t done well, inevitable sequels have entirely bombed, and it feels like there have been some new original movies that have taken the world by storm (like Sinners and how it’s just awesome).

But then there are movies like this – like Mamma Mia! – that don’t need a sequel but got one anyway because why not? But fine, fine, Mamma Mia! was one of the highest-grossing musical movies ever, and I could see why it got one even if I don’t necessarily agree with it.

However, now there are talks of a third movie happening, some chatter spreading around the internet, and no. No, we do not need this. And I’ll tell you exactly why enough is enough.

The First Mamma Mia Was Great, The Second Was Fine

I have talked at length about how much I love the first Mamma Mia! movie, and honestly? I stand by that years later. In fact, this film is a comfort of mine, as I’m sure it is for many other people.

While I also have other comfort movies – like Midsommar, for some odd reason – Mamma Mia! has pretty much consistently been up there for several years of my life. In fact, I even went to see the stage production on Broadway for a moving-up present in 8th grade because I loved the movie adaptation so much. This film has been a part of my life for years; I’ve loved the Mamma Mia! cast and so much more.

Then Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again came out, and it was…fine.

I’ll repeat it: this film did not need a sequel. It really had the perfect feel-good ending, and there was no real need to see the continuation of Sophie’s story in any way, shape, or form. However, it was a huge musical, and many people still loved it, so whatever.

The second film didn’t make as much as the first, but it was relatively successful enough for there to be talks of a possible third movie happening – and what the heck? Why?

The Story Really Does Not Need To Be Continued

This is my biggest qualm. The story is done. It’s complete; we don’t need anything else with this!

The first film itself was done the best. It was the same story as the stage production: a girl searching for her true biological father and inviting three men she assumed, based on her mother’s journal, could be him. The story ends with her not caring and agreeing that all three could be ⅓ of a father to her, and everyone dances off to a lovely party in Greece. How much more of a perfect ending could you get than that?

But then they had to make the second film, which, honestly, I had to rewatch to really tell you what the story was they decided to tell. It mainly flashed back and forth between Donna’s past and Sophie’s present, showing parallels between Sophie having issues with Sky and Donna’s summer, where Sophie was conceived, and all that.

It’s just too much, it’s too much. At a certain point, we find out that Donna isn’t even around anymore; she’s passed away, which is so sad. I mean, it’s not like Mamma Mia! was one of Meryl Streep’s best movies or anything, but I feel like her role was diminished so much in the sequel.

What’s the point of continuing with this story? Will they create an entirely new story for a possible third film? Is Sophie going to take over the island entirely now? I don’t know.

I Don't Think Anyone From The First Two Are Set To Come Back

There’s a Deadline article from May 2025 about Mamma Mia 3 being in “active development” from film producer Judy Cramer. She also teased that Meryl Streep might be back for the third film, but there has really been nothing confirmed about that.

But even so, how on earth would she appear? Donna is literally dead in the Mamma Mia world now, and now you’re saying somehow she’s going to occur? And as for that, how much of the original cast is really going to return? Nothing has been talked about or confirmed at all. There have been teases, but no announcements, nothing.

As for that, the Deadline article also mentioned that Sabrina Carpenter could join the cast of Mamma Mia 3, and that’s cool and all; it’s not like she isn’t an actress – but I don’t know, there’s just something about casting a pop star like her in this beloved franchise without any official confirmation of this film or its possible returning stars that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

How Many More Ultra Famous ABBA Songs Are There To Put In Here?

Not to sound like a youngin’ here, but how many more famous ABBA songs can we really put into a third movie?

Obviously, the first film had the most famous ABBA songs because that’s what the original Mamma Mia! musical was about – it was a jukebox musical that focused on their most famous pieces. The second one featured some lesser-known songs, some moderately popular ones, and then just a few re-recordings of songs we had heard in the original.

How many more songs can we realistically include in a third movie that the general public will recognize and enjoy watching? Are we just going to dive super deep into their discography now and pull out some B-sides? I’m not sure where we’re going with this.

There Are So Many Other Great Musicals That Could Be Adapted

This, hands down, is one of the things I’m most annoyed about with this – there are so many amazing modern musicals that could benefit from the adaptation treatment. Yet, we’re stuck with another Mamma Mia! movie. Really?

You could look into the Greek worlds of Hadestown or the hilarious songs of Book of Mormon – heck, even Lin-Manuel Miranda could somehow adapt Hamilton into a film, which, honestly, will probably happen at some point. There’s already a Disney+ original film dedicated to the stage production. Instead, we might be going back to Greece for another pointless Mamma Mia film.

I don’t know; maybe I’m too cynical about this, but it just feels like any sequel tends to harm the reputation of the original further. And that’s the last thing I want for the Mamma Mia movies. I wish they would have just stopped at first, but Hollywood’s gotta Hollywood – and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing another film of this very soon, despite the gut feeling I have that it’ll be awful.

Ugh, maybe I should rewatch the original. That’ll put me in a better mood.

Fans fell in love with the ABBA jukebox musical-turned-movie Mamma Mia! back in 2008. Part musical, part mystery (and a ton of fun), the story of Donna Sheridan , her daughter,Sophie, and three mystery fathers was a hit. Many have been awaiting the franchise's possible threeque (no official green light yet), but plenty of tidbits have been shared. Pierce Brosnan is the latest of those who’ve been dropping some big hints for 3, and I don’t know how I feel about his.

We’ve seen plenty advocating for the junior installment long before the 2025 movie schedule, but with no public results. Amanda Seyfried's ongoing determination, aswell asCher's optimistic feelings and wish involving Meryl Streep, along with a MM producer’s promising update, have all pushed the want more. Within the past week, some news stories have come to light about MM3, including Brosnan’s highlight in THR.

Pierce Brosnan Teases A Major Reveal For Mamma Mia 3

The James Bond alum spoke to the publication about his new 2025 TV guide show, Showtime's MobLand. During the conversation, the MM discourse about who Sophie’s biological father is, and the 72-year-old remained tight-lipped. He shared that it’d be better to find out while watching MM3 than for him to spill the beans:

Wow, wow, wow. Firstly, I’m glad we aren’t learning of who Sophie’s pop is through an interview. And, I know many debate about who Donna Sheridan’s biological baby daddy could be since the Broadway musical. But I didn’t know that there were plans to reveal it at all, and I’m not sure how I feel about the purported choice. Though the statement does hint that 3 will be confirmed eventually.

Why I'm Torn About This Possible Mamma Mia 3 Reveal

Learning definitively who Sophie is related to is an interesting possibility. While one part of me thinks that some of the OG vibe of the jukebox musical would be detracted from it, if it were revealed, it’ll be surprising to see who and how they reveal it. Naturally, you can’t go wrong with Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth or Stellan Skarsgård’s characters.

Why I keep pingponging, though, is related to why they feel they have to do it, outside of letting the characters have the peace of mind. For me, franchises have mixed bag results more often than not, especially as they continue down the line. And if this plot point is what they chose to stand on, it could be a home run or a full flop. I’ll be covering my eyes and fingers crossed as we wait and see.

As this year goes on, I’m sure we’ll continue to hear more Mamma Mia 3 developments. Just this week, talk of Sabrina Carpenter joining the ranks, a potential TV show and a scheduled return to the stage for the world.

As for who Sophie’s dad is, it remains a mystery for now. Thanks to Brosnan for the existential teaser that’ll be rolling around in the back of my head regardless of its production. If you want to start taking notes about who her actual father may be, stream the first two with a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

Whether it’s movies like Heat bringing massive stars together to create one of the best ‘90s movies, all-time great romantic comedies allowing America’s sweethearts to show off in front of adoring fans, or legendary sci-fi flicks showcasing the skills of up-and-comers and established stars, there have been a lot of movies that brought two heavyweight actors together.

Below are 32 such movies that brought such an incredible one-two punch, we still can’t believe they actually happened. But luckily, these castings did happen and they were pulled off really, really well.

Heat (Robert De Niro & Al Pacino)

Though they were technically both in The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino wouldn’t share a scene until more than 20 years later in Heat. Sure, their shared time on screen was minimal (this was a cat-and-mouse game, you know), but this Michael Mann epic was made all the better with these two heavyweights together at last.

Escape Plan (Sylvester Stallone & Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger had one of the biggest rivalries in Hollywood throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s as they competed for box office supremacy with all kinds of action movies. Well, they finally started working together in the 2010s with a series of movies that includes Escape Plan. Though The Expendables came first, that was more of an ensemble affair and Schwarzenegger was relegated to a brief cameo.

Collateral (Jamie Foxx & Tom Cruise)

When it comes to movies set in Los Angeles, few are as cool or thrilling as Collateral. Michael Mann’s 2004 thriller stars Jamie Foxx (just months before he won an Oscar) and Tom Cruise (one of his most menacing performances) as a cab driver and assassin, respectively, on a night neither will forget.

Fast Five (Vin Diesel & Dwayne Johnson)

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson would go on to have one of the strangest Hollywood feuds in the years that followed, but the two Hollywood heavyweights first came together for Fast Five in 2011. A movie that forever changed the course of the Fast & Furious franchise, this wild heist adventure saw the two beefed-up and bald actors go at it in one of the series’ best fights.

You've Got Mail (Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan)

While it is true that You’ve Got Mail was the pair’s third movie together, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan weren’t really the massive stars they were when making Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle. Hanks had earned two Oscars and Ryan had led several more rom-coms between their early films and this 1998 romantic comedy.

Waiting To Exhale (Angela Bassett & Whitney Houston)

Waiting to Exhale has a great cast from top to bottom (as well as a great original song), but it was wild seeing Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston share the screen in this iconic 1995 dramedy about a group of women navigating love, life, and friendship with each other by their sides.

A Few Good Men (Tom Cruise & Jack Nicholson)

Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men has a cast that includes Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr., and so much more. But then you have Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson at the top of the list. Though they don’t share the screen for all that long, they were both part of the now iconic “You can’t handle the truth” courtroom scene, which has gone on to become one of the most universally known quotes of all time.

True Romance (Dennis Hopper & Christopher Walken)

The “Sicilian Scene” from True Romance will forever be remembered as one of the greatest cinematic moments of the 1990s, and that’s thanks to Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken (two absolute legends) giving it their all. Yeah, Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are the core of Tony Scott’s 1993 romantic crime drama, but these two heavyweights stole the show.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (Paul Newman & Robert Redford)

Paul Newman and Robert Redford could very well be one of the best on-screen pairings in Hollywood history. While The Sting is great and all, we have to talk about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid bringing these two legends together. From the start of the flick to that iconic ending (you know what we’re talking about), this movie is in a league of its own.

The Departed (Leonardo DiCaprio & Jack Nicholson)

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, one of the best 2000s movies, has one of the director’s best group of actors, which is saying something. The two megastars at the top of the list? Well, none other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, who are outrageously great together. No wonder this won Best Picture.

Bad Boys (Will Smith & Martin Lawrence)

Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do when Will Smith and Martin Lawrence come for you? Well, moviegoers found out with the 1995 release of Bad Boys, a landmark buddy cop movie starring two of the biggest names on the planet at the time. Still on the rise, Smith and Lawrence became even bigger stars after his great Michael Bay movie came out.

Thelma & Louise (Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis)

Thelma & Louise is one of those movies that never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it. And while we would love to give Ridley Scott all the credit, or say Brad Pitt’s small part made a difference, let’s be real and acknowledge the work of Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two on-the-run women with nothing but the open road (and open sky) ahead of them.

Marriage Story (Scarlet Johansson & Adam Driver)

Marriage Story brought together Scarlet Johansson and Adam Driver together in 2019, the same year they starred in box office juggernauts Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, respectively. And if we’re being honest, this Netflix original was actually the best of those three films.

Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson & Danny Glover)

Lethal Weapon, the first in a franchise of legendary buddy cop movies, brought together Mel Gibson and Danny Glover for an outrageously funny and action-packed crime story about two cops from different walks of life trying to solve a case (and not kill one another). Riggs and Murtaugh are still one of the best duos, even after all these years.

Life (Eddie Murphy & Martin Lawrence)

Though both appeared in Boomerang earlier in the decade, Martin Lawrence was a star on the same level as Eddie Murphy when they teamed up for Life. This rude, crude, and incredible 1998 comedy about two convicts making the most out of life sentences is full of hilarious and unforgettable moments.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Harrison Ford & Sean Connery)

There are some out there who think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best of the franchise, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. With Sean Connery coming on to play Harrison Ford’s on-screen dad, this 1989 adventure film was bigger, grander, and more epic than anything that came before it in this beloved franchise.

The Mexican (Julia Roberts & Brad Pitt)

Gore Verbinski’s The Mexican may not be the best movie or even the most successful to feature Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, but these two were at or near the peak of their fame when this 2001 crime film was released. Coming out nine months before they shared the screen in Ocean’s Eleven, this oft-forgotten romance film brought the pair together.

Bruce Almighty (Jim Carrey & Morgan Freeman)

After both became two of the biggest stars of ‘90s Hollywood, Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman shared the screen in 2003’s Bruce Almighty, with the latter playing God (can you imagine anyone else playing the divine being?). Though they didn’t have all that much time together, these two legends made the most of it to create some utterly hilarious moments.

Night At The Museum (Ben Stiller & Robin Williams)

The Night at the Museum movies have all kinds of great pairings, but the original did it best with Ben Stiller as a lowly nighttime security guard and the late Robin Williams as a wax figure of a former United States President that comes to life at night. We could watch these two riff until the sun comes up, and luckily that’s what happened in two subsequent sequels.

Men In Black (Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones)

Here comes the Men in Black! This 1997 comedy, which came out a few years into Will Smith’s unprecedented run at the box office, saw the Fresh Prince share the screen with Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. The pair of secret agents tasked with protecting Earth from extraterrestrial threats have since become one of the best onscreen duos and two characters that’ll never get old.

The Fugitive (Harrison Ford & Tommy Lee Jones)

Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones came together for one of the best 1993 movies when they shared the screen in The Fugitive. This great movie based on a classic TV show saw Ford’s Dr. Richard Kimble on the run after being falsely convicted of murdering his wife with Jones Samuel Gerard leading a team of U.S. Marshals to find him.

Mamma Mia! (Meryl Streep & Pierce Brosnan)

Mamma Mia! had great songs, unforgettable moments, and one of the best casts of the 2000s. While we could talk about Stellan Skarsgård, or Amanda Seyfried, or even Colin Firth, we have to point out that this Abba-influenced musical brought Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan together on screen, and it was marvelous.

The Nice Guys (Russell Crowe & Ryan Gosling)

Shane Black gave the world one of the great modern buddy crime flicks in 2016 with the release of The Nice Guys. Featuring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as a pair of down-on-their-luck guys tasked with solving a mystery, this throwback was so much fun. It’s a shame we never got a sequel.

Ocean's Eleven (George Clooney & Brad Pitt)

The ensemble cast from Ocean’s Eleven has talent up and down the roster and has some heavyweights from multiple generations of Hollywood. But let’s be real, this movie brought George Clooney and Brad Pitt together, a relationship that has given us nearly a half-dozen other great films in the 24 years since its release.

La La Land (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)

The third time’s the charm, right? Well, that was the case for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who were electric in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Taking on the roles of two young lovers forced to decide between following their dreams and having a great relationship, these two sing, dance, and shine throughout this beloved musical.

Independence Day (Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum)

Years before Jeff Goldblum became one of social media’s favorite (and strangest) stars, he was something of a Hollywood leading man. Between his first two stints as Dr. Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic Park franchise, Goldblum shared the screen with Will Smith in Independence Day, aka, one of the highest-grossing films of 1996. These two, who were on top of their game, became an unlikely duo.

Batman Returns (Michael Keaton & Danny DeVito)

Michael Keaton, as Batman, and Danny DeVito, as the Penguin, in 1992’s Batman Returns, was one of the oddest pairings of the ‘90s. But don’t let this make you think it didn’t work, as these two Hollywood heavyweights were oddly great together in Tim Burton’s second and final comic book movie set in Gotham.

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (Kate Hudson & Matthew McConaughey)

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson were two of the biggest stars on the planet when they teamed up in 2003 for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This wildly funny rom-com, which preceded their Fool’s Gold adventure comedy by five years, further helped both actors rise through the ranks of Hollywood.

Jungle Cruise (Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson)

It’s crazy we never got a movie starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson before 2021’s Jungle Cruise, but we’re glad these two electric stars shared the screen. One of the best movies based on a Disney attraction, this throwback adventure film had action, peril, humor, and some romance before it was all said and done.

Central Intelligence (Dwayne Johnson & Kevin Hart)

Love them or hate them, there’s no denying Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s on-screen chemistry. Shortly before they starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, these two shared the screen in Central Intelligence. A good movie? No, not really, but these two had so much fun together.

Face/Off (John Travolta & Nicolas Cage)

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are two of the most unforgettable actors (for better or worse) in the history of Hollywood, and they crossed paths and swapped faces in John Woo’s Face/Off. This absurdly awesome action flick about an FBI agent and global terrorist swapping faces is as ridiculous as it sounds.

Righteous Kill (Robert De Niro & Al Pacino)

Those who were mad about Robert De Niro and Al Pacino never having a face-to-face interaction (at least on screen) in Heat were in for some good news when Righteous Kill hit the big screen in 2008. Is it a great movie? No, not really. But hey, it has two of the biggest actors of all time sharing scene after scene.

The triple threat that is Cher has been unstoppable for six decades, and counting. She’s endlessly talented and fun to watch whether it’s through her ever-evolving music career or catching her in her best movie and television roles. Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again wouldn’t have been the same without her even though she only had a few scenes. The thought of a threequel with more Cher time would be great, and it seems like it’s a possibility, according to the memoirist.

The Mermaids star chatted with Entertainment Weekly about her new book, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, and shared some promising news about the beloved jukebox musical-turned-movie’s threequel. She revealed that Mamma Mia 3 is highly possible and she’d love to reprise her role as Ruby Sheridan, mother to Donna (Meryl Streep/Lily James) and grandmother to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). She said:

Cher confirming what Judy Craymer, the creator of the musical and the two movies, hinted at the possibility of a third last year, is really reaffirming. I think that I, along with many other fans are more than ready for Mamma Mia to turn into a trilogy and completely behind Craymer’s push for a third.

The Moonstruck star went on to add that she continues to push for Meryl Streep’s return as Donna. And even though (Streep’s) Donna was killed off in the sequel, somehow I think it is possible to see the Julie & Julia star dancing alongside her past castmates in the future. Cher shared of her Streep campaign:

I’m not holding my breath or anything but even the It’s Complicated star has spoken about how she’d be into signing on to the third installment, if possible. She’s even shared some theories of how her matriarchal role could return to the ABBA musical. The commitment to the series is there, and if any two stars could pull something as wild as this off, it’d be Streep and Cher. The reality of it probably boils down to the Only Murders in the Building cast member’s scheduling, especially now with the announced sequel to another Streep classic, The Devil Wears Prada.

When three will officially land, time will tell but other cast members have only spoken well of the continuing series. Stellan Skarsgård, who plays love interest, Bill, initially thought the idea was absurd but ended up having a ball with his castmates. Seyfried revealed that she’s always loved ABBA and it's a favorite among her family, she’s even shared her future hopes she has for Sophie.

Hopefully, Cher or any of the cast continue to give exciting and promising updates on the future of the Hotel Villa Donna and everyone who lives there. I, and many other fans are ready for the threequel, hopefully Streep included!

If you’d like to watch Mamma Mia! you can with a Max Subscription and for Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again you can with a Peacock subscription.

It’s already been 6 years since the sequel to Mamma Mia was released in theaters, and it seems fans are itching to catch a metaphorical flight back to Greece. After Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again was a low-key box office smash, conversations immediately turned to the possibility of a third Mamma Mia movie. The challenge lies in getting the original cast to return. When it comes to Amanda Seyfried, who plays Sophie Sheridan, she has one requirement should she reprise her role, and I can’t believe this hasn’t been done already.

Cast members and producers alike have said they would be down to return to the fictional Grecian island of Kalokairi, including Seyfried. However, The Dropout actress told The Spotlight via EW that if Sophie’s story is to continue, she has one essential song request for her character:

There have been two entire movies, HOW has Seyfried’s main character not sung the title track? Now we need a threequel greenlit.

Despite Sophie being a main character, the movie's focus is on her mom, Donna. Lucky for us, Mamma Mia 2 ended with Sophie and Sky having a baby. If that doesn’t set up the perfect plot, I don’t know what does. The idea of Mamma Mia 3 telling Donna’s mother’s story (played by Cher) was thrown around, but I think we should give Sophie the chance to tell her story as a mamma and give the Jennifer’s Body actress a chance to sing “Mamma Mia”.

Besides, how can the producers say no to this movie when fans have loudly voiced their desire to have Sabrina Carpenter play Sophie’s daughter? The “Espresso” singer recently covered the iconic title song from the musical on her Short 'n Sweet Tour. Fans immediately started calling for the casting, and news reached Seyfried who told ABC News she would love to sing alongside the blonde pop star.

Now I’m convinced this needs to happen, especially given Carpenter has acted before both on stage and on-screen. Not to mention she has clearly shown she’s got the pipes to do ABBA justice. Thank you for the music, Sabrina.

In my ideal world, I would love to see the whole lineage of Sheridan women back on the screen together, including Lily James, who played an incredible young Donna. The hardest to work in would be Meryl Streep, whose Donna died between films, but made a brief reappearance via Sophie’s imagination to sing a heartfelt rendition of “My Love, My Life.” However, The Devil Wears Prada actress said she would be down to do another Mamma Mia and even had a few silly ideas herself on how to get around the whole “death” factor.

Sounds like Mamma Mia creator Judy Craymer, who has admitted to quietly working on a third script, has half the hard work done with all these ideas floating around. But I’ll be damned if I don’t get to see Amanda Seyfried live out her dream!

I'm not sure I can wait a full decade to get my Mamma Mia fix. Thankfully, the rom-com jukebox musical is among the long list of fantastic movies to grace Max, and is available to stream now with a Max subscription.

Imagine not only discovering the musical masterpiece that is the Mamma Mia! movies for the first time, but your own mother being Sophie Sheridan. That was recently the experience of Amanda Seyfried’s seven-year-old daughter, Nina, who is apparently now super into her mommy’s most popular films.

This is the most wholesome news, especially for fellow Mamma Mia! fans. Check out what Amanda Seyfriend recently shared with People about how her eldest child got super into the ABBA jukebox musical that is based on one of those Broadway shows that has run for a crazy amount of time:

Seyfried shared the sweet development in her household while talking to People while at the Best Friends Animal Society Gala in New York City. As the actress said, the obsession has everything to do with her mom exposing her to the 2008 movie that is one of those unexpected movies that made over a half a billion at the box office at the time of its release. It may have been over 15 years since the movie came out, but the movie has only become more popular over the years and is considered a modern classic. As Seyfried continued:

The original movie, which is currently available to stream with a Max subscription, was one of the actress’ first big roles after finding her first movie with 2004’s Mean Girls. What’s especially sweet about this whole thing is that the film itself is about a daughter who finds out a secret about her mother’s past, through a diary entry and becomes obsessed with finding out who her father is as she prepares to get married.

Seyfried called the experience of bonding with her daughter over Mamma Mia as “trippy”. She also said this:

Nina’s most recent pick was the first one, but she’s of course absolutely correct for loving them both. They are both equally as good, but it’s just so much fun to rewatch the 2008 original that became a movie musical phenomenon. Here’s the sweetest part of it all, per Seyfried:

Can’t you just picture Seyfried and her daughter singing their hearts out to the ABBA song “Lay All Your Love On Me”? What an adorable way for Seyfried to reminisce on one of her biggest roles, and for her daughter to appreciate it. Now here’s hoping Mamma Mia 3 does happen, as one producer suggested it is, so Seyfried has more Mamma Mia to sing and she can visit the set to a franchise she’s now “obsessed” with!

We all know movies like Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic have made a ton of cash at the box office, with each comfortably eclipsing the $2 billion line. However, there are other films whose impressive theatrical runs aren’t as remembered, despite making a ton of money before they left the silver screen. Here are 32 movies you might not know made over $500 million, per Box Office Mojo.

The Smurfs (2011)

Remember The Smufs, the 2011 CGI/live-action hybrid starring Neil Patrick Harris and those titular blue villagers from the classic cartoon of the same name? If not, you’ll probably be even more surprised to learn the forgotten film made a staggering $564 million at the box office. Sure, the vast majority of that was in international markets, but still!

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

Despite being far from the best Indiana Jones movie, 2008’s The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull happens to be the best-performing entry in the franchise with a ridiculous $787 million theatrical run. Sometimes folks go in droves to see a bad movie, especially when there’s a nearly 20-year break between entries in a franchise.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Mission: Impossible II is considered by many to be the worst film in the Tom Cruise action franchise, and there’s a case to be made for that. And even though we don’t look at the 2000 movie fondly, there’s no denying the fact that moviegoers were all about it nearly a quarter-century ago, as the film made $546 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

The Grinch (2018)

It’s no secret that animated movies make a ton of cash, especially releases that appeal to both children and adults. And it appears that was the case for Illumination’s 2018 adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas book, The Grinch. This movie, which we often forget about, made an impressive $540 million back in late 2018.

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was one of the most talked about movies of the early 2000s, but we honestly forgot it made THIS much money during its run. The celebrated or controversial film, depending on who you ask, made a mind-boggling $612 million worldwide, with most of that being in the United States (remember all those church groups buying up entire screenings?).

Mamma Mia! (2008)

We all remember Mamma Mia! for its catchy renditions of ABBA classics, a fun-loving spin on a Broadway musical, and its all-star cast, but what’s often forgotten is the fact that it raked in a ton of cash. Though the lion’s share of its $695 million gross was in international markets, there’s no denying this Greek-set romance story was a success.

Ted (2012)

The 2012 summer box office was wild with successful movies like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but there was another major hit released between two of the best superhero movies of all time: Ted. Seth MacFarlane’s raunchy comedy about a man and his stuffed animal was a massive hit with audiences, bringing in $549 million by the time everything was said and done.

Cinderella (2015)

There have been a crazy number of Disney live-action adaptations over the past decade or so, but one that is often left out of the conversation is Cinderella. Though not as successful as The Lion King or The Jungle Book, this Lily James-led fantasy film brought in an impressive $542 million worldwide back in 2015.

The Meg (2018)

People must really like to see a) Jason Statham movies or b) shark-centric thrillers or c) all of the above because The Meg, a seemingly non-descript 2018 action flick took a massive bite out of the box office with a wild $529-million run a little more than a half-decade ago. And while its sequel didn’t reach as high of a mark, it still performed really well.

Meet The Fockers (2004)

No one would hold anything against you if you didn’t remember a single thing from Meet the Fockers, the 2004 sequel to the Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro 2000 comedy, Meet the Parents. This is especially true when it comes to how well the movie performed worldwide: $523 million.

World War Z (2013)

One of the more recent additions to the list of movies with disastrous productions, World War Z was able to turn it around and absolutely kill it in theaters back in the summer of 2013. Despite all the problems during production and post-production, as well as OK reviews, this Brad Pitt zombie thriller brought in $540 million worldwide.

Night At The Museum (2006)

The Night at the Museum franchise has gone on to produce multiple sequels and give families something to watch on family movie night, and so it shouldn’t be surprising that the Ben Stiller-led fantasy comedy performed well at the box office. But did you know it made $574 million back in 2006? That’s a stack of cash.

Life Of Pi (2012)

Sometimes it feels like Ang Lee’s Life of Pi is a movie that has been lost to the sands of time, but let’s not forget that the 2012 book-to-screen adaptation of one of the most decorated novels of the early 21st century made more than $609 million during its run. It didn’t perform all too well in the States ($125 million), but its international gross was something to behold.

The Croods (2013)

Remember The Croods, the 2013 animated film that saw Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, and Catherine Kenner voice a family of cavemen? If the answer is no (or even if it is yes), you’ll probably be surprised to learn that it made $587 million worldwide during its theatrical run, which was enough to launch an entire franchise that included movies, shows, and even video games.

The Boss Baby (2017)

The Boss Baby is a movie many of us probably remember for one reason or another, meaning we either watched the Alec Baldwin-led animated film or saw its trailer during our visits to the theater in 2017. Well, the movie was not only a hit, but a massive hit, bringing in a total of $527 million before it finally left the big screen.

Hancock (2008)

Here’s something crazy to think about: Hancock, the 2008 Will Smith-led superhero movie made more money at the box office than Iron Man, the film that launched the MCU and changed Hollywood as we know it today. 

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Not only was Kong: Skull Island the most successful movie in the Monsterverse, but it also performed really well at the box office back in early 2017. By the time everything was said and done, this monster movie made a staggering $569 million worldwide.

The Martian (2015)

We’re not knocking the movie, but Ridley Scott’s The Martian somehow won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 73rd Golden Globes, which is crazy to think about. Know what else is crazy? Oh, just the fact that this 2015 Matt Damon movie made $631 million months before it received all those accolades.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is nowhere near the top of the ranking of best Marvel movies, and at one point it was seen as a failure or misstep for the young franchise. However, it still made $645 million worldwide. Sure, it’s not quite Avengers numbers, but this mops the floor with some of the later MCU films.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

The first Venom movie made more than $850 million back in 2018. And while its sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, didn’t come close to touching that, its $506 million run is impressive considering several factors. The biggest of these is the fact that it came out in October 2021, a time in which theaters were still struggling to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Men In Black 3 (2012)

Men in Black 3 wasn’t necessarily a bad movie, but it’s wild to think that the third entry in the Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones franchise would be its most successful. Released in 2012, this sci-fi action comedy brought in an otherworldly $654 million in box office receipts.

Maleficent (2014)

2014 was a massive year at the box office with movies like Godzilla, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Interstellar bringing in bundles of cash and millions of moviegoers to screens around the world. Another addition to that list was the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent, which earned $760 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest movies of all time.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code is a bad movie with one of the worst Tom Hanks hairdos of all time. However, Ron Howard’s 2006 adaptation of Dan Brown’s conspiracy thriller was a huge hit with audiences and made $760 million worldwide.

2012 (2009)

Roland Emmerich’s 2012 is one of the craziest disaster movies of all time, but it’s also one of the most successful, which is somehow hard to believe. Released in 2009, a time in which people still thought the world would end in 2012, this John Cusack-led thriller brought in an impressive $791 million worldwide.

The Secret Life Of Pets (2016)

This one is wild, but did you know The Secret Life of Pets made $876 million at the box office back in 2016? No, well, it actually happened and we can’t figure out a) how it happened and b) why we don’t recall its massive success. But with Illumination being behind the runaway hit, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

A wildly inaccurate historical film or a biopic everyone needs to see depending on who you ask, Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the biggest movies of 2018. And while Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther dominated the box office conversation that year, let’s not forget that the Queen movie made $911 million before it left the big screen.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor or the more popular Harry Potter movies, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success. In fact, the 2018 sequel made a cool $656 million in the weeks following its release, which is quite a feat.

Suicide Squad (2016)

David Ayer’s Suicide Squad has received a ton of crap over the years for not really making sense and feeling like multiple movies taped together instead of one cohesive film. And while we can go on and on about the 2016 DCEU movie’s shortcomings, the movie did happen to make $749 million at the box office. 

Beauty And The Beast (2017)

Not only did the 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast make more than $500 million at the box office, but it also crossed over into the $1 billion territory, which is quite surprising. All in all, the movie made $1.2 billion, which makes it one of the most successful films of all time.

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Is Alice in Wonderland a good movie? No, not really. But did Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll novel make a ton of cash? Yeah, by the boatloads. This wild, nonsensical, and nightmarish movie brought in more than $1 billion back in the day, which is mindboggling.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is often considered not only one of the worst movies in the franchise but also one of Michael Bay’s worst films. However, this 2009 summer blockbuster made a mind-blowing $836 million at the box office, which was more than $100 million more than its predecessor.

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Though it didn’t make nearly as much as some of the earlier movies in the comic book franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse didn’t have a terrible run upon its release in 2016. In fact, the movie, which saw Oscar Isaac play a villain that looked a lot like a certain Power Rangers big bad, made a cool $544 million by the time it left theaters.

Stellan Skarsgård might be known for his broody collaborations with director Lars von Trier (Melancholia, Nymphomaniac), for his Golden Globe-winning work in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl or as the terrifying Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune and Dune: Part Two. But to some circles of the Internet, he's simply Bill Anderson from the forever rewatchable Mamma Mia! movies.

It was a joyfully silly role that was seemingly out of character for the otherwise serious Swede, an unexpectedness that the actor himself was taken back by when he was hired to not only act but also dance and sing, too, in the modern movie musical. Skarsgård relayed as such during a sit-down with Variety to discuss some of his most iconic roles: 

In both the 2008 jukebox rom-com Mamma Mia! and its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again a decade later, Stellan plays one of the three former suitors of hotel owner Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep)—alongside Pierce Brosnan's Sam Carmichael and Colin Firth's Harry Bright—who are brought to Greece unbeknownst to Donna by her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) in the hopes that one of them is Sophie's dad. 

Brosnan and Firth weren't known for their musical bonafides either—Brosnan's singing, in particular, was memorably awful—so Stellan fit right in with the genre newbies. Of course, the rest of the Mamma Mia! cast was packed with musical-theater regulars like Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper and Seyfried, so Skarsgård knew that the song-and-dance heavy-hitting would be left to them. For the three elder men, he says: 

And it seemed they did have fun, with Stellan citing a "Voulez-Vous" dance lesson with Colin that went awry: 

Who knows if Stellan Skarsgård will be back crooning and grooving as Bill Anderson in the much-rumored Mamma Mia 3. And Meryl Streep has an idea on how Donna could return for another sequel, FYI—but if he does, we will surely be seated. We like seeing the Swede get silly every once in a while! 

In the meantime, you can revisit the first two Mamma Mia! movies with a Netflix subscription. 

When it comes to the things that entertain us, we could turn to the best movies on Netflix or the best shows on Hulu or whatever is out there, but I've always loved Broadway shows and musicals. 

Believe it or not, some productions have been on that stage for a crazy amount of time, whether it was five years or twenty-plus years. So, if you're curious about Broadway plays or musicals that have been on the stage for an intense amount of time, here are thirty-two that might surprise you. 

The Phantom Of The Opera (1988 – 2023)

The Phantom of the Opera is hands down one of the most impressive musicals of all time and features some of the best vocals out there. The original cast of both the West End and Broadway productions included Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine Daaé. Years later, a film production starring Emmy Rossum from the Shameless cast came out in 2004. The production ran on Broadway for 35 years. 

Chicago (1996 Revival) (1996 – Present)

Chicago first premiered in 1975, but the Broadway revival that came out in 1996 starring Anne Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth as Roxie and Velma has continued to run for up to 27 years. The production even received a 2002 film adaptation that was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. 

The Lion King (1997 – Present)

While The Lion King is one of the best Disney Renaissance films, the musical that came from it is one of the best Broadway shows. It first debuted in 1997 and has been running for 26 years now. The original cast included John Vickery as Scar, Samuel E. Wright as Mufasa, Jason Raize as Simba, and more. 

Grease (Original Production) (1972 – 1980)

Before the film version of Grease happened, the musical arrived in 1972 and ran for an impressive eight years on Broadway. The original production had cast members such as Barry Bostwick as Danny and Carole Demas as Sandy. There was a 1994 revival, but it wasn't nearly as successful as the first run. 

Rent (1996 – 2008)

Rent was an iconic musical written by Jonathan Larson. It featured some of the best Broadway talent to date, detailing the story of young artists living in Manhattan's East Village during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The original Broadway production included Anthony Rapp as Mark Cohen, Adam Pascal as Roger Davis, Idina Menzel as Maureen Johnson, and more, several of whom reprised their roles in the film adaptation. 

Life With Father (1939 – 1947)

Life with Father was an older play in the earlier days of Broadway about Clarence Day, a father (written by Clarence Day, himself). The show is the longest-running Broadway non-musical and ran for eight years. The original production starred Howard Lindsay as Father, Dorothy Stickney as Vinnie Day, Teresa Wright as Mary Skinner, and more. 

Tobacco Road (1933 – 1941)

Tobacco Road is a play from Broadway in the 1930s based on the novel of the same name's novel and is the second-longest-running non-musical on Broadway. The play details the life of Tobacco farmers suffering from poverty. The original cast comprised Henry Hull, Margaret Wycherly, Maude Odell, and Dean Jagger. 

Cats (1982 – 2000)

Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Cats, a sung-through musical that received a film adaptation in 2019 that was less than stellar, but the production itself is fantastic. It follows the story of cats who look to be picked as the "Jellicle choice" to receive a new life. The musical ran for eighteen years. The original production included Donna King as Bombalurina, Ken Ard as Macavity, Betty Buckley as Grizabella, and more. 

Hello, Dolly! (Original Production) (1964 – 1970) 

Hello, Dolly! follows the story of a matchmaker who goes to Yonkers to find a match for a miserable, unmarried millionaire, which seems impossible. The original production ran for six years, and the cast included Carol Channing as Dolly Gallagher Levi, David Burns as Horace Vandergelder, Charles Nelson Reilly as Cornelius Hackl, and more. 

Jersey Boys (2005 – 2015)

Running for ten years, Jersey Boys was a jukebox musical with music from The Four Seasons, which tells the story of the success and breakup of the band. The original cast was composed of John Lloyd Young as Frankie Vallie, Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito, Daniel Reichard as Bob Gaudio, and J. Robert Spencer as Nick Massi. 

My Fair Lady (Original Production) (1956 – 1962)

My Fair Lady ran for six years and follows the story of a young woman who takes speech lessons to pass as a lady. The original cast consisted of Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins, among others, and won six Tony Awards. Rex Harrison reprised his role in the film adaptation. 

A Chorus Line (1975 – 1990)

A Chorus Line ran for fifteen years and centers on seventeen Broadway dancers who are all auditioning to be a part of one chorus line that would take their career to the next level. The original production starred several big names, including Robert LuPone, Wayne Cilento, Baayork Lee, Kelly Bishop, Sammy Williams, and more. 

Hairspray (2002 – 2009)

Hairspray is a musical about a young woman who dreams of dancing on a TV show, and when she gets her chance, she uses her new fame for change. The original production on Broadway ran for seven years and starred Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy, Harvey Fierstein as Edna, Matthew Morrison as Link Larkin, and more. 

Mamma Mia! (2001 – 2015)

Mamma Mia! was a jukebox musical that used the music of ABBA! to tell the story of a young woman inviting three men, whom she presumed could be her father, to her wedding to walk her down the aisle. The original Broadway production ran for fourteen years and starred Louise Pitre as Donna, Judy Kaye as Rosie, Karen Mason as Tanya, and Tina Maddigan as Sophie. 

Fiddler On The Roof (Original Production) (1964 – 1972)

Fiddler on the Roof initially ran for eight years and follows Teyve, a Jewish milkman, and his life with his three daughters who wish to marry for love. The original production starred Zero Mostel, Maria Karnilova, Joanna Merlin, Julia Migenes, Austin Pendleton, and more. 

Mary Poppins (2006 – 2013)

Based on one of Julie Andrews's best movies, Mary Poppins, and the children's books of the same name, the Broadway production is about the nanny, Mary Poppins, and her magical powers that help children. The original Broadway production ran for seven years and starred Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins, Gavin Lee as Bert, and Daniel Jenkins as George Banks. 

Wicked (2003 – Present)

Wicked is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and has been running for twenty years. The original production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda and a Wicked film adaptation in 2024. 

Miss Saigon (Original Production) (1991 – 2001)

The Broadway production of Miss Saigon is based on the opera Madame Butterfly and follows the story of an Asian woman and her American lover during the Vietnam War. The original Broadway production ran for ten years and starred Lea Salonga as Kim, Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer, and Willy Falk as Chris. 

Avenue Q (2003 – 2009)

Avenue Q is a parody of Sesame Street but is very adult and talks about real-life problems that involve serious topics. The original Broadway production ran for six years before moving to Off-Broadway. The original cast included John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Rick Lyon, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Jordan Felber, Anne Harada, and Jennifer Barnhart. 

Hamilton (2015 – Present)

Created by epic lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is a musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. It was immensely successful and continues to run in its eighth year. The original Hamilton cast included Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, and more. 

Beauty And The Beast (1994 – 2007)

Based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Beauty and the Beast is about a young man turned into a beast who must learn to love to turn back into a human. The production ran for thirteen years, and the original cast included Susan Egan, Terrence Mann, Burke Moses, Gary Beach, Beth Fowler, and more. 

Kinky Boots (2013 – 2019)

Kinky Boots ran for six years and tells the story of a young man who inherited a shoe factory from his father and teams up with a drag queen to produce a line of shoes to save the business from going under. The original production included actors such as Billy Porter as Lola, Stark Sands as Charlie Price, and Annaleigh Ashford as Lauren. 

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child (2018 – Present)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been running for five years on Broadway and is considered a sequel to the Harry Potter films and books, telling the story of Harry's child, Albus Severus Potter. It stars Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley, Poppy Miller, Anthony Boyle, and more. 

The Producers (2001 – 2007)

The Producers is based on the film of the same name, which tells the story of two theatrical producers who attempt to get rich by overselling Broadway musicals, but the catch is that they're all doomed not to do well. Ka-ching! The original Broadway cast included Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Cady Huffman, and Gary Beach, among others. 

42nd Street (Original Production) (1980 – 1989)

42nd Street originally came out in 1980 and ran for nine years. The play is based on the 1933 film of the same name and tells the story of a cast on Broadway during the time of The Great Depression. The original cast comprised stars such as Wanda Richert, Lee Roy Reams, Tammy Grimes, Carole Cooke, Jerry Orbach, and more. 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2014 – 2019)

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical ran for five years and was a jukebox musical that told the story of Carole King and her rise to fame. The original Broadway production featured the voice talents of Jessie Mueller, Jake Epstein, Anika Larsen, and Jeb Brown, among others. 

Les Misérables (Original Production) (1987 – 2003)

Les Misérables is probably one of the most well-known musicals of all time, and it ran for an impressive sixteen years. The production was based on the book of the same name and told the story of Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who breaks his parole and starts a new life taking care of a young girl, which later involves him in the French Revolution. 

The original Broadway production included stars such as Colm Wilkinson, Terrence Mann, Randy Graff, Judy Kuhn, Frances Ruffelle, and Leo Burmester, among others. It was later turned into a film adaptation in 2013, which I've rewatched and had some opinions on – the stage musical is better. 

Oklahoma! (Original Production) (1943 – 1948)

Oklahoma! was a stage musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs. It details the story of a young farm girl who has to choose between two suitors of different lifestyles. The original Broadway production ran for five years and starred Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Howard da Silva, Betty Garde, Celeste Holm, and more. 

Rock Of Ages (2009 – 2015)

Rock of Ages ran for six years and is a jukebox musical that follows the story of two wannabe rockers who get close while working together in a bar in Los Angeles. The original Broadway cast included Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, Mitchell Jarvis, Wesley Taylor, Lauren Molina and more. 

The Book Of Mormon (2011 – Present)

The Book of Mormon hails from the South Park creators Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone and follows the story of two Mormon missionaries assigned to Africa to preach the word of Jesus Christ. The musical has run for twelve years, and the original Broadway production included Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Potts, Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley, and Lewis Cleale.  

Annie (Original Production) (1977 – 1983)

Annie is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie and ran for six years. It tells the story of little orphan Annie, a young girl who lives in an orphanage when Oliver Warbucks changed her life. The original cast was Andrea McArdle, Reid Shelton, Dorothy Loudon, Sandy Faison, Robert Fitch, and Barbara Erwin. 

Aladdin (2014 – Present)

Aladdin is based on the 1992 Disney film of the same name and follows the story of the titular character, Aladdin, as he makes three wishes from a Genie to win Princess Jasmine's heart. The Broadway production has run for nine years so far, and the original cast included Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart, Courtney Reed, Jonathan Freeman, Clifton Davis, and more.   

These musicals are genuinely out of this world and impressive to have run for so long, and there will be even more to add to this list as time goes on. I feel like singing a song now. 

While I consider the Mamma Mia! movies to be peak movie musical cinema, there is one misstep I may never get over. You know, that time when Meryl Streep’s Donna Sheridan was killed off in the 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again? While I absolutely love the second movie, especially in regards to the exploration of Donna’s life before Sophie, did she really have to die? It certainly would write a third Mamma Mia! into a corner in regards to Streep’s return, should it happen, but at least the Oscar-winning actress has a fun idea about how she can return. 

Meryl Streep and the cast of Mamma Mia! recently reflected on the classic movie to Vogue following it turning 15 years old earlier this summer. During the conversation, a third Mamma Mia came up, which looks to have thumbs up from the cast and filmmakers all around. Streep shared her particular thoughts on the subject, saying this: 

Judy Craymer, who came up with the idea for Mamma Mia! as a musical before becoming a producer on the Universal films, has already shared her plans to make a trilogy and her hopes for Meryl to come back. She said if she had her way, there would be a third Mamma Mia! already, but it’s reportedly in its earliest stages, with its cast ready to sign up even as many of them share concerns over getting older. In the spirit of this, Streep also quipped:  

Stellan Skarsgård also jumped in, saying he thinks he might “be in an urn” by the time the filmmakers cook up a third film, but that being said he continued that he’d “gladly participate as a pile of ashes.” 

As the Mamma Mia! crew discussed an upcoming sequel, Craymer shared that she’s definitely received flack for Donna dying in the sequel, but it had something to do with Streep’s unofficial no-sequel rule at the time. That being said, apparently, when Streep learned Donna kicked the bucket in Here We Go Again, she didn’t exactly want to be dead in it. 

Considering all the excitement and optimism from the Mamma Mia cast and filmmakers during this 15th-anniversary conversation, I certainly have hope that a third movie will come out someday. Of course, it remains to be seen how they pull it off -- maybe Donna will come back from the dead. In the meantime, you can see Meryl Streep on the suspect list of Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, now \with a Hulu subscription, with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays. 

Are you ready for Barbieheimer? It feels as though ever since the release dates for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer were set, cinephiles have been having an absolute blast at the idea of the two movies coming out on the exact same day. There have been so many memes, and same-day double feature ticket sales are real, making this weekend quite an eventful one to be in movie theaters. But did you know iconic pairings such as Barbieheimer have occurred before in movie history? 

What same-day movie release pairings would the internet have absolutely geeked about in retrospect? From The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia having neighboring theatrical openings in 2008, to ‘80s classic movies Ghostbusters and Gremlins sharing the same summer date, let’s talk about ten times big and beloved movies premiered on the same day and how things shook out in theaters. 

Poltergeist Vs. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan 

On June 4, 1982, moviegoers could buy a ticket to both the Steven Spielberg horror classic Poltergeist and arguably the most beloved of all the Star Trek movies ever made, Wrath of Khan. Both movies shared some major (and quite comparable) success in this case. Poltergeist was the highest-grossing horror movie of 1982, at No. 8 in overall movies that year along with some really positive buzz from critics and audiences alike. The Star Trek sequel won the match up overall, though, when it had the biggest opening weekend in history at the time. It later became the sixth highest grossing movie of the year. The Trekkies showed up big time, but both of their successes showed there were big audiences for both.  

Blade Runner Vs. The Thing

Just three weeks later, another iconic matchup happened in theaters in the year 1982 as well! On June 25th, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and John Carpenter’s The Thing landed in theaters on the same day. Funny enough, the massive successes of both Poltergeist and Star Trek II (along with E.T. and Conan the Barbarian) somewhat hurt the commercial successes of both these movies in the summer of ‘82. Both rather misunderstood, garnering mixed reactions from its audiences at the time, and having OK, but not great box office returns. 

Ghostbusters Vs. Gremlins

Jumping over to 1984, two more massive genre films, Ghostbusters and Gremlins, both came out on June 8. Ivan Reitman’s supernatural comedy starring Bill Murray and such won the weekend, with Gremlins swiftly behind and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in its third week of release and still very much making bank. Both Ghostbusters and Gremlins were warmly received in theaters and were among the highest-grossing movies of 1984, with Ghostbusters at No. 2 behind Beverly Hills Cop and Gremlins at No. 4.  

Die Hard Vs. A Fish Called Wanda 

Another great summer ‘80s release day occurred on July 15, 1988, when both Die Hard and A Fish Called Wanda hit theaters on the exact same day. Neither film earned the distinction of No. 1 at the box office, as the Eddie Murphy-led comedy Coming To America continued to dominate ticket sales a few weeks into its release. Die Hard didn’t necessarily sell critics, but audiences carried the movie to its iconic status and Bruce Willis to a solid breakout movie role. 

A Fish Called Wanda was named one of the best movies of the year, led to Kevin Kline winning an Oscar and earned No. 1 at the box office six weeks into its theatrical run before becoming the most rented movie in the U.S. the following year. Both of these made a massive mark on audiences in 1988, but technically Die Hard was the bigger blockbuster. 

Batman Vs. Honey, I Shrunk The Kids 

Here’s one more massive ‘80s versus scenario: Tim Burton’s Batman and Disney classic, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Both summer movies hit theaters on June 23, 1989, and they were top hits of 1989. However, Batman absolutely takes the win here, as it went on to become the highest-grossing movie of that year, and a seminal movie release that directly affects the superhero blockbuster era were in today. In 11 days, Batman became the fastest film to earn $100 million and earned over $400 million worldwide total. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids still had a solid release, with it becoming the sixth highest-grossing movie of 1989!

Boyz N The Hood Vs. Point Break 

Well, aren’t these two a solid double feature? On July 12, 1991 moviegoers could experience both Boyz in the Hood and Point Break in theaters for the first time on the same day. Neither movies cracked the top 20 of highest-grossing movies of 1991, with films like Beauty and the Beast, Terminator 2, Silence of the Lambs and Hook being among the biggest blockbusters. Still, their cultural impact and continued following is unquestionable. Overall, Boyz n the Hood edged out Point Break between its higher cash flow and critical praise. 

Heat Vs. Jumanji 

Another solid matchup of all-time beloved films happened during the holiday season of 1995: Michael Mann’s Heat and Joe Johnston’s Jumanji. These two were very much counter-programing for each other, with one being a violent crime film and the other a family comedy. Considering the holiday weekend, Robin Williams’ charm won over Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s team-up, hitting No. 1 in its first weekend, beating out Toy Story reign for weeks. Jumanji also became the seventh highest-grossing movie of 1995, whereas Heat was No. 25. Since then, both are well loved and have certainly made their mark on modern cinema in their own distinct ways. 

10 Things I Hate About You Vs. The Matrix 

When we talk about beloved ‘90s movies these days, 10 Things I Hate About You and The Matrix are certainly big favorites that are mentioned high up. Both films premiered on March 31, 1999 too. The Wachowskis' science fiction action movie not only opened at No. 1, it earned one of the best openings for the Spring season ever of the time along with earning praise right off the bat. 10 Things I Hate About You opened at No. 2 at the box office. Obviously we’re talking about two vastly different kinds of movies, but yes, The Matrix was the winner here. 

The Dark Knight Vs. Mamma Mia!

15 years before Barbieheimer, there was a comparable matchup on July 18, 2008, when Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! hit theaters. In this instance, The Dark Knight would go on to become the highest-grossing movie of 2008, with an over $1 billion of earnings at the box office, but Mamma Mia! was a big hit too, becoming the No. 5 movie of the year. The Dark Knight has always been well-loved from the get go, but Mamma Mia’s popularity has only but soared since it initially came out.   

A Star Is Born Vs. Venom

Anyone else remember the A Star Is Born/Venom memes of 2018? A lot of that had to do with the Oscar-winning drama and superhero flick premiering on the same day: October 5, 2018. It’s hard to choose a winner here, all things considered, but commercially Venom became the most successful of the two with its $856 million worldwide haul, which was the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2018. A Star Is Born was No. 21, but it also received a ton of award buzz and was one of the most popular movies of the year. 

It sure is fun to think about all these double features in retrospect. Did you turn out twice in the movie theaters for any of these and which did you choose first? The next massive cinematic showdown comes this weekend, July 21 when both Barbie and Oppenheimer hits theaters. 

I have a dream... and it’s to have more Mamma Mia songs to sing! Because otherwise, the soundtracks for the first two movies are going to go on repeat for decades to come. Thankfully, Judy Craymer -- the producer behind the original Broadway musical and two star-studded movies -- also wants more. But could a theoretical threequel include Meryl Streep, too? Well, Craymer addressed that while sharing her thoughts on a Mamma Mia 3. 

Judy Craymer notably got the idea for the Mamma Mia musical back in the late '90s, before she tapped Catherine Johnson to write the book for the musical. Eventually, the great and funny musical would receive a theatrical adaptation, whih hit theaters in 2008. Fans had to wait a decade for the sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but it was well worth it. In an interview with Deadline, Craymer shared that she’s hoping to make a third movie as well, and it seems that she wants Meryl Streep to be involved:

This isn’t the first time she's shared her thoughts on making a trilogy as, back in 2020, the producer also explained that a third Mamma Mia movie would happen “one day.” Three years later, it sounds like the producer still has the idea floating around in her head, but it’s not official yet. Right now, the latest production inspired by the franchise is ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, which is a talent show set on a Greek Island. Additionally, the successful producer is also looking to bring the show back to Broadway in 2025. 

It’s good news for fans like myself, who won’t quit rewatching Mamma Mia and its 2018 sequel. Judy Craymer has apparently thought up a way for the franchise to continue and, with it, she would very much want to see Meryl Streep back as Donna Sheridan alongside the main cast. It’s certainly one of Streep’s most iconic roles, and she always looks like she’s having an absolute blast as the free-spirited hotel owner, so why wouldn’t she want to be a part of it? 

In all, the franchise has made $4 billion, between the shows, movies and albums, so surely Universal Pictures would want to get on board with another jukebox musical featuring ABBA songs. Here We Go Again even quietly made a lot of money back in 2018, wracking up $395 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. 

When CinemaBlend spoke to the Here We Go Again cast at that time, they shared their ideas for a third movie, suggesting that it should have flashbacks to the life of Donna’s mother, Ruby Sheridan, who Cher played. It was revealed in the sequel that she had an early love affair with Andy Garcia’s Señor Fernando Cienfuegos circa 1959 before becoming a famous singer, who greatly neglects Donna. That'd be an interesting avenue for the franchise to explore after the three generations of Sheridan women reunited at the end of Here We Go Again. 

It’s exciting to hear that another Mamma Mia could be on the way. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take another decade to happen and that it does end up featuring Meryl Streep in some capacity.

Pierce Brosnan has played some iconic characters in his career but one of the performances he will likely forever be remembered for is his role in the Musical Mia! Brosnan’s singing is somewhat infamous in the history of movie musicals, because the fact is that he’s not the world’s greatest singer. However, he got to sing with Meryl Streep, and you didn't, so he doesn’t really care what you think.

Brosnan, who plays Dr. Fate in DC’s Black Adam on the big screen right now, spoke with NME and he was asked if he’d ever been offered the role of a musician in a biopic. Brosnan says that’s never happened, which he’s fine with, because he knows he's not hired to sing, even when he does. The only movies he’s ever sung in is Mama Mia! and its sequel. Brosnan knows his singing isn’t exactly Grammy worthy, but in those movies he says that's the joke. And he does have a platinum album because of it, and he got to sing with a cinematic icon, So F those people that have a problem. Brosnan says…

Pierce Brosnan knows his singing in Mamma Mia! Wasn’t the best, but he had a good time doing it, and so he’s clearly not that concerned with the perception of his performance. He lived the dream of those of us who like to sing in the shower but can’t carry a tune. If only we could all be so lucky. 

Casting musicals is always a bit tricky because there may be a role that would be perfectly played by an actor who can’t sing very well, or might have songs that would sound perfect coming from a singer who’s otherwise not right for the role. There have been a handful of cases where the singing in a musical maybe wasn’t top notch. Brosnan isn’t even the worst performance in a major film musical, but he’s certainly not the best either. The fact that he is one among a large ensemble cast in Mamma Mia! certainly helps.

For the record, Pierce Brosnan says that he would love to have played Elvis on the screen had he been given the chance, and been a capable singer. That role has been played on screen multiple times, most recently by Austin Butler in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and Brosnan is quite complimentary of that performance.  

One of the most famous and talented families working in the industry today is that of the Swedish-born Skarsgårds — including Emmy winner Alexander Skarsgård, his brother and horror movie star Bill Skarsgård, and their father, Stellan Skarsgård. In addition to his long and storied career, the acclaimed patriarch of this Hollywood dynasty has also become the first in his family to become a part of the Star Wars universe as a member of the Andor cast on Disney+. 

In honor of this stellar achievement, we have compiled a showcase of our choices for the best Stellan Skarsgård movies and TV shows, with where you can find them on streaming below — and his aforementioned new Star Wars TV show is where we shall start.

Andor (2022-Present)

A young loner (Diego Luna) discovers that he can put his rebellious characteristics to good use by joining a secret, slowly developing war against the oppressive governmental system ruling over a galaxy far, far away.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård TV shows: The actor plays Luthen Rael, who recruits Luna’s title character into the Resistance, on Andor — a thrilling, critically acclaimed series prequel to the events of the film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, from 2016.

Stream Andor on Disney+.

His Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies (2006-2007)

After Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has helped break the curse upon his old ship, he enlists the help of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) to break a curse upon himself and, later, engage in battle for the future of piracy itself.

Why they are some of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: For one of his earliest collaborations with Disney, he joined the cast of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies — which many might agree are some of the best pirate movies ever made — as Will Turner’s cursed father, “Bootstrap” Bill Turner, in the second installment (subtitled Dead Man’s Chest) and would also reprise the role in the third film, At World’s End.

Stream the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+.

Rent/buy Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest digitally on Amazon.
Buy Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Rent/buy Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End digitally on Amazon.
Buy Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End on Blu-ray on Amazon.

His Marvel Movies (2011-2022)

The lives of an esteemed theoretical physicist (Skarsgård) and his colleagues (Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings) are changed forever when they become acquainted with a young man (Chris Hemsworth) who claims to be a celestial being banished from his otherworldly home to Earth and may be the planet’s only hope against an impending attack if he can reclaim his powers.

Why they are some of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Years later, he would join another franchise owned by Disney by appearing in one of the earliest installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, Thor, as Dr. Erik Selvig — whom he would reprise again in 2012’s The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World the following year, Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015, and Thor: Love and Thunder for a brief cameo in 2022.

Stream the Marvel Movies on Disney+.

Rent/buy the Thor movies digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy The Avengers digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy Avengers: Age of Ultron digitally on Amazon.

Rent/buy Thor: Love and Thunder digitally on Amazon.
Buy Thor: Love and Thunder on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Cinderella (2015)

Following a chance meeting with a charming prince (Richard Madden), a kindhearted young woman (Lily James) unjustly treated by her stepmother (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett) and stepsisters, is given the opportunity to find true love and escape her unfair life by attending a royal ball, with help from her fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter).

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: The talent also stepped into the world of one of Disney’s most iconic and beloved animated classics by starring as the Grand Duke in director Kenneth Branagh’s genuinely enchanting live-action reimagining of Cinderella in 2015.

Rent/buy Cinderella digitally on Amazon.
Buy Cinderella on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The Mamma Mia! Movies (2008-2018)

On the eve of her wedding day, a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) invites three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård) who could be her real father and, years later, learns more about the earlier years of her late mother (Meryl Streep) as she prepares for the reopening of the hotel she once ran. 

Why they are some of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Another time Skarsgård appeared in one of Lily James’ movies was when he reprised his role as Bill Anderson (and played his twin brother, Kurt) in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — the sequel to the 2008 cinematic adaptation of the hit stage musical featuring songs by legendary disco group, Abba.

Stream Mamma Mia! on Starz.
Rent/buy Mamma Mia! digitally on Amazon.

Rent/buy Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again digitally on Amazon.
Buy the Mamma Mia! movies on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The Hunt For Red October (1990)

During the height of the Cold War, a CIA analyst (Alec Baldwin) tries to prove that a Soviet Union submarine captain (Academy Award winner Sean Connery) is planning to defect.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: One of his first major English-language film roles was Russian Captain Viktor Tupolev in director John McTiernan’s adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel, The Hunt for Red October — the first of the Jack Ryan movies and the only to star Baldwin as the iconic action hero character.

Stream The Hunt For Red October on Netflix.
Rent/buy The Hunt For Red October digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Hunt For Red October on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Eager to exploit the extraordinary mathematical talents of a young, aimless custodian (Matt Damon), an M.I.T. professor (Skarsgård) forces him to seek inspiration from a disillusioned therapist (Robin Williams, in an Oscar-winning performance).

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Inciting the plot of director Gus Van Sant’s inspirational coming-of-age story, Good Will Hunting — which earned Damon and Ben Affleck Oscars for Best Original Screenplay — is Skarsgard’s character, Prof. Lambeau, and his discovery of the reluctant title character’s genius.

Stream Good Will Hunting on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Good Will Hunting digitally on Amazon.
Buy Good Will Hunting on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Amistad (1997)

Following a violent revolt on a Spanish slave ship, a group of American abolitionist lawyers work to prove that the African men aboard were captured illegally and, therefore, deserve to be set free.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Also in 1997, director Steven Spielberg cast him in Amistad — another powerful, Oscar-nominated drama — as New York-based abolitionist Lewis Tappan.

Stream Amistad on Paramount+.
Rent/buy Amistad digitally on Amazon.
Buy Amistad on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Chernobyl (2019)

At a nuclear power plant in the northern Ukraine, employees face deadly circumstances to prevent the spread of disaster in the midst of a colossal explosion in 1986.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård TV shows: More than two decades after Amistad, Stellan Skarsgård appeared in another acclaimed historical drama — this time an HBO original miniseries from creator Craig Malin — called Chernobyl, in which he plays Boris Scherbina, who served as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union at the time of the devastating historical event dramatized here.

Stream Chernobyl on HBO Max.
Buy Chernobyl digitally on Amazon.
Buy Chernobyl on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Ronin (1998)

A former spy turned freelancer (Robert De Niro) puts together a team of outcast specialists like himself to find and retrieve a suitcase desired by rival Irish and Russian gangs.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Playing one of DeNiro’s outcast cohorts — namely German computer specialist and former KGB associate Gregor — was Stellan Skarsgård in Ronin, which is a classic, international crime drama in the style of a heist thriller from director John Frankenheimer and screenwriter David Mamet.

Stream Ronin on Tubi.
Stream Ronin on Freevee through Amazon.

Rent/buy Ronin digitally on Amazon.
Buy Ronin on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)

A journalist (Daniel Craig) enlists the help of an anti-social, but highly skilled, hacker (Oscar nominee Rooney Mara) to investigate the decades-long disappearance of a wealthy industrialist’s niece. 

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: In one of the few English-language films on his resume that is also set in his home nation of Sweden, Skarsgård plays Martin — the brother of the missing Harriet Vanger — in director David Fincher’s version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is based on the gripping, bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson.

Stream The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on Hulu.
Rent/buy The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I And Vol. II (2013)

After discovering a woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) badly beaten in an alley, a man (Skarsgård) takes her to his home, where she recounts all of the events that led her to diagnose herself as a sex addict.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: For his sixth (technically sixth and seventh) collaboration with writer and director Lars von Trier, Skarsgård appeared in the prolific and polarizing filmmaker’s raunchy, two-part drama, Nymphomaniac, as a man who enjoys reexamining the main characters’ sexual escapades as fishing metaphors.  

Stream Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and Vol. I on Hulu.
Stream Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and Vol. on Amazon Prime.
Buy Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and Vol. II on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon. 

Dune (2021)

In the distant future, a prince (Timothée Chalamet) haunted by horrifying premonitions and his family find themselves embroiled in a violent struggle for ownership over the most valuable resource in their galaxy.

Why it is one of the best Stellan Skarsgård movies: Currently, the actor is shooting his reprisal of the role of the ruthlessly oppressive Vladimir Harkonnen in the second half of Dune — director Denis Villeneuve’s visually stunning, star-studded, and multi-Oscar-winning adaptation of author Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi epic.

Stream Dune on HBO Max.
Buy Dune digitally on Amazon.
Buy Dune on Blu-ray on Amazon. 

If you are a fan of the Skarsgård brothers and are curious to see where their talents stem from, all you really need is to see the Stellan Skarsgård movies and TV shows above.

What do you watch when you’re in the mood to watch people sing and dance, but you’re not in the right mind frame to handle West Side Story? You watch one of these comedy musicals instead.

Not all musicals are tragedies! There are loads of funny musicals to watch on streaming services, so we’ve compiled a list of the ones that made us laugh the hardest. This list includes live shows and movie musicals that you can watch today. Let’s get into it!

Shrek The Musical (2013)

The live performance of this 2013 musical is included with your Netflix subscription and features Broadway megastars Sutton Foster and Brian D’Arcy James. If you’re looking for a musical that has the edgy humor of a gross-out comedy while still maintaining the heart at the center of the Shrek movie, look no further.

The musical pays homage to original tale of an ogre coerced into saving a princess while elevating the content for audiences of all ages. People who are majorly grossed out by burps and farts can skip “I Think I Got You Beat” if they want, but it's arguably one of the funniest songs in the show.

Shrek the Musical is available to stream on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Shrek the Musical on Amazon.

Hamilton (2020)

If you haven’t already seen Lin-Manuel Miranda’s contemporary musical Hamilton, where have you been hiding for the last seven years?! This filmed version of the live musical, which tells the story of U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton, features the original Broadway cast and all of the quick-witted lyrics fans have come to love. While the story obviously deals with serious topics as well, the show is known for maintaining an upbeat and fun atmosphere throughout.

You can watch the live performance of Hamilton on Disney+.

Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

There are many versions of Little Shop of Horrors, Alan Menken’s campy musical about an alien plant with a hunger for world domination, but our favorite is the 1986 film starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene. This version also stars Steve Martin as a sociopathic dentist addicted to laughing gas, and Levi Stubbs as a huge talking plant.

The show covers dark topics in a lighthearted and fantastical way, a concept that changed the game when it came to stage shows. 

Little Shop of Horrors is available to stream on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Little Shop of Horrors on Amazon. 

Kinky Boots (2005)

There are several ways to watch Kinky Boots, a musical comedy about a drag queen who saves the fate of a shoe factory with her line of high-heeled boots. This musical is the thing that launched Billy Porter to stardom, and it’s packed with witty lines and over-the-top choreography.

The original Kinky Boots movie is available to watch on Showtime and Spectrum, but for those who want to see a live performance of the show, the 2019 stage version is available to rent/buy on Amazon Video and Broadway HD.

Hairspray (2007)

Set in the 1960s during the civil rights movement in Baltimore, Hairspray explores themes of racial injustice, fatphobia, and dancing to the beat of your own drum--but not without cracking a few jokes in between.

Practically every line in Hairspray includes a gag of some kind, so you’ll have to keep up to catch them all. The 2007 movie is a fantastic adaptation of the Broadway musical, and is packed with stars like Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, and Christopher Walken, all who understand the comedic timing necessary to put on a show like Hairspray. 

Hairspray Live!, the high-energy 2016 production put on as part of NBC’s live Broadway performance series, is also available to stream on Broadway HD.

Hairspray is currently streaming on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Hairspray at Amazon. 

The Spongebob Musical: Live on Stage! (2019)

If you’ve ever seen Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants cartoon, you’ll have some idea of what to expect from the Spongebob Squarepants musical. The show follows your favorite Spongebob characters on a mission to save Bikini Bottom from a volcano.

The Spongebob Musical was praised for appealing to audiences of all ages and tackling the difficult task of costuming a show where the source material is about a sponge and starfish.

Don’t believe me? The show was nominated for twelve Tonys, tying Mean Girls for the most-nominated show at the 2018 Tony Awards. OG Spongebob fans are likely to get a kick out of this one. 

The Spongebob Musical is available on Paramount+
Buy the Spongebob Musical on Amazon.

A Chorus Line (1985)

This 1985 movie based on the classic stage show centers on the audition process in the ruthless world of Broadway. While the show isn’t directly considered a comedy, the inner-monologues of the Broadway hopefuls provide more than enough comic relief.

A Chorus Line is available to watch on Paramount+.
A Chorus Line is available to rent/buy on Amazon. 

The Prom (2020)

Backed by a cast of beyond-talented actors, The Prom is a 2020 film adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name. The movie centers around a lesbian high-school student who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom, only to have the dance cancelled as a result by her school’s PTA.

The show is fun and colorful, and if you can get past James Corden’s performance in the movie you just might get swept away by The Prom's catchy songs.

You can watch The Prom on Netflix.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)

Hear me out: Sweeney Todd is one of the funniest musicals of all time. Where else can you listen to a show-stopping number about cooking people into meat pies?

This murderous movie follows exiled barber Sweeney Todd's revenge plot against those who've wronged him and his family. But how to dispose of the evidence?

Sweeney Todd is gory, no doubt, but that makes the humorous parts of the show all the more delicious.

The movie contains pitch-perfect performances by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, accompanied by the support of comedy legend Sacha Baron Cohen and a cast of talented performers. 

Sweeney Todd is streaming on HBO Max.
Sweeney Todd is available to rent/buy on Amazon. 

Billy Elliot (2000)

Laying the source material for the 2005 Broadway musical, Billy Elliot tells the story of a young boy who wants to learn to dance. While the subversion of gender roles in this movie can be humorous, it also serves as the heartfelt message at the story’s core. 

The 2000 movie Billy Elliot is one of the films available on HBO Max, but if you want to catch the live performance of the stage show featuring the music of Elton John, it’s available to watch on Broadway HD.

Watch Billy Elliot on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Billy Elliot on Amazon.

Funny Girl (1968)

Come on, it’s right there in the title. This story of a Vaudeville dancer's rise to Broadway stardom is making a comeback in popularity this year, thanks to Beanie Feldstein’s run as Fanny Brice in the 2022 revival of the Broadway show. The role was originally played on Broadway by Barbra Streisand, who became synonymous with the role of Fanny Brice thanks to her charming and powerful performance.

Barba Streisand’s Funny Girl is one of the many movies available to stream on Prime Video.

Mamma Mia! (2008, 2018)

Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again both started mini-cultural phenomena after their releases in 2008 and 2018, respectively. The first movie follows young woman Sophie on a mission to uncover the secret of her birth father's identity, while the sequel tackles her mother Donna's origin story.

This pair of jukebox musicals based on the music of ABBA are known for high-energy dance numbers, exciting costumes, and, of course, Meryl Streep. We can also thank Julie Walters and Christine Baranski for their portrayals of Rosie and Tanya, who carried the comedic relief of Mamma Mia! and reprised their roles in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Mamma Mia! is available to stream on Prime Video, while the sequel can be watched on Spectrum or rented on Prime Video and Apple TV+.

The Producers (2006)

Regarded as one of the funniest musicals of all time, The Producers centers around the story of two con men who put on a Broadway show they know will fail in the hopes of pocketing money from investors. They eventually find “Springtime for Hitler,” which turns out to be a huge hit.

The 1967 movie starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel is available to rent on Amazon and VUDU, while the 2006 adaptation starring Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell is available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV+, and VUDU.

My Fair Lady (1964)

If you’re into old-school laughs, My Fair Lady is the way to go. Audrey Hepburn’s portrayal of cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle is the comedic highlight of the film. The trials and tribulations of her ascent into high society make this musical enjoyable and unforgettable.

Keep in mind this one is based on Pygmalion, a 1913 stage show, so there’s a good amount of misogyny rooted in the plot. If you can get past it, Hepburn’s captivating performance is definitely worth a watch. 

My Fair Lady is available on Netflix.
My Fair Lady is available to rent/buy on Amazon. 

Enchanted (2007)

Disney’s comedy musical Enchanted tells the tale of a storybook animated princess who is unceremoniously transported into modern-day New York City. Amy Adams’ portrayal of the kind-hearted but very confused Giselle is the centerpiece of this 2007 film, with outstanding comedic support from James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, and Timothy Spall. Unsurprisingly, it’s pretty funny to see 2D characters come to life to face the daily struggles of city living.

Good news to all Enchanted fans out there: Disenchanted, the long-awaited sequel, will release on Disney+ around Thanksgiving of 2022. In the meantime, you can stream Enchanted on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Enchanted on Amazon.

From murderous barbers to singing ogres, there’s a funny musical out there to suit everyone’s style of humor. If these selections haven’t tickled your funny bone enough, there are many more comedy musicals available to stream on Broadway HD, including films and live performances.

From the first time I saw this movie, I knew I was hooked. From the phenomenal Mamma Mia! cast to its fun storyline and the catchy music, there’s just something about this film that does it for me every single time I watch it. To this day, no matter what, this is still one of my favorite modern musicals, and I hope it can pave the way for more modern musicals to come out.

As I was watching it for the millionth time recently, I kept thinking of things that have evolved in my head over the years when I’ve re-watched this film. So, in honor of my love for Mamma Mia!, I’m going to go over seven thoughts that crossed my mind while re-watching this lovely film. 

Meryl Streep Is Having The Time Of Her Life

I mean, you can’t deny it. Look at her. Look at that smile. 

Meryl Streep is an amazing actress, and her track record for having the most Oscar nominations proves that. She has been in critically acclaimed films like Sophie’s Choice, The Iron Lady, The Post, and so many others that it’s almost hard to keep count. Her timing is impeccable, her acting fantastic - there’s not really much you can criticize this famous actress about. 

Which is why it’s so refreshing to see her in a role like this. 

I mean, we all know that Meryl Streep is a phenomenal dramatic actress but there’s something so wholesome about watching her sing and dance around with her friends as Donna, seeing that genuine smile that adorns her face. I love watching Streep act dramatically, but her performance in Mamma Mia! has always been one of my favorites because she truly looks like she’s having the time of her life. 

How The Hell Can Sophie Afford To Bring Everyone Out To Greece?

Like, actually. How the hell did she afford this? 

I know that Sophie’s (played by the wonderful Amanda Seyfried) mother, Donna, owns the villa on Kalokairi, but like, we have to think about this rationally. Sophie, in Mamma Mia!, is twenty years old. I’m sorry, but there aren’t a lot of twenty year olds who are able to afford to fly all of their family and friends out to a destination wedding in Greece of all places. 

But, let’s just say by some miracle that Sophie was able to afford to bring everyone out there - this island was still far out there in Greece. The transportation would have been a mess. And, the fact that the wedding was basically canceled at the end kind of made the whole celebration moot. But, whatever. Live your life, Sophie. 

Sophie And Sky Are Actually Really Cute

A big gripe I had with Mamma Mia! when I was young and stupid was that, for some ungodly reason, I didn’t like Sophie and Sky (Dominic Cooper). I know, weird, but I think it’s because I was too young to really appreciate their relationship for what it is. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to really like their relationship and how cute they actually are. You can clearly tell that they love each other and have the same passions and goals for the future, and that even through tough times, they’ll make it out okay. Even them in the end collectively deciding to forgo the wedding until they’re ready and just travel was a great moment between the two of them. 

Oh, and their song, "Lay All Your Love On Me?"  Yup, that is a bop and a half and I will listen to that over and over again. 

Can I Be As Cool As Donna And Her Friends Someday?

Seriously. They are the freaking cutest. 

At Sophie’s bachelorette party, Donna and her two friends, Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski), reunite for one night only as their band, Donna and the Dynamos, to perform for Sophie and her friends and ugh, I just love this scene. 

It’s full of so much fun and life and makes me want to dress up in a big glittery jumpsuit when I’m in my fifties. Middle-age goals. 

Bring On The Water Works 

Every single time I listen to "Slipping Through My Fingers," I cry, and this scene is no exception, as we watch Donna help her daughter, Sophie, prepare for her wedding. It’s such a wholesome scenario, a mother simply aiding her daughter in getting ready; painting her nails, getting her dressed - it’s so sweet and lovable. 

I think what makes this scene even better is that we know how stressful this wedding has been not only for Sophie, but for Donna. And to see them come together after all the drama that has ensued due to Sophie's three possible fathers being there, and everything else combined, is well worth the wait. 

Dear God Someone Stop Pierce Brosnan From Singing

I know Pierce Brosnan doesn’t care if we don’t like this signing voice, but, God someone stop him. 

Pierce Brosnan has made some spectacular films, including his time as James Bond. He’s a fantastic actor- just not a good singer, and even now, years later, I still haven’t gotten used to his raspy and, quite frankly, horrid voice. As someone who grew up with music in my house from a young age, listening to him makes me want to close my ears.

You’re still a great actor, Brosnan. Just stay away from my musicals, please.

This Movie Really Didn’t Need A Sequel

The more I watch this film and see the ending, the more I start to think - this movie really did not need a sequel. Like, at all. 

While Mamma Mia! 2: Here We Go Again quietly brought in some money, got decent reviews, and upped the ante of the cast, including big names like Cher and Lily James, I still don’t think it was needed. I didn’t want a movie that talked about Donna’s strange and mysterious death, and seeing her spirit at peace. It was nice and all to learn about her past and watch Sophie grow up, but we didn’t need to see it. 

The first film ended perfectly, with new couples getting together, Donna and Sam getting married, and Sophie and Sky getting their chance to sail off into the sunset to travel. We didn’t need to see what happened next. Everyone got their happy ending. Which is why I feel that this sequel was just…unnecessary. But, even with the sequel, there’s no denying my love for the first film. 

There’s been rumors of a possible Mamma Mia 3 happening, but I really hope it stays as it is - rumors, because the first film truly does make me smile in so many ways. I hope that if you haven’t seen it, maybe you’ll get the first chance to watch it because of this article. Soon enough, you’ll be a "Dancing Queen," just like I became. 

Love is in the air - at least that’s what it feels like when we watch these amazing weddings from movies. 

You just have to love some of these movie weddings, from the decorations to the dresses to the attendance, everything just seems to always fit so perfectly and run so well. But, let’s not forget about the pure love and adoration we see between the couples we love. 

From some recent picks to films from the 1960s, movie weddings have given us some wonderful inspiration - here are the ten most beautiful.

Colin And Araminta’s Wedding (Crazy Rich Asians)

While there are plenty of awesome Crazy Rich Asians behind the scenes facts and the movie itself is so funny and a lot of fun, no one can quite forget that wedding scene between Colin and Araminta - specifically, her dress.

It was so simple yet elevated to the max. It felt like Araminta had this perfect combination of wanting to stand out with the gold embroidering but also trying to make that dress look as realistic as possible. It feels like a princess wedding from beginning to end. And no one can quite forget those beautiful flowers that are all around the venue, adding a few pops of color. 

Jenna And Matty’s Wedding (13 Going On 30)

While Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo reunited in The Adam Project in 2022, I’ll always remember these two in their wedding in 13 Going On 30. While it’s not a flashy wedding by any means, I think what makes this one of the most beautiful weddings is just the emotion behind it. 

We just watched an entire movie about Jenna finally learning that Matty is such a great guy, and when she thinks its too late, she’s transported back to the past and kisses him, and this one moment changes the course of her life forever and they end up getting their happily ever after in the end. It’s sweet and heartwarming and makes me smile every time. Plus, that camera moment is so adorable. 

Fleur And Bill’s Wedding (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1)

Okay, okay, I’m a little biased as a huge Harry Potter fan but you cannot deny that their wedding was gorgeous. Or at the very least, the wedding reception. 

Having it held in a simple tent only added to the intimate feeling between both close family friends and loved ones. Fleur’s wedding dress is just such a freaking beautiful combination of black and white, and her dance with Bill, showing just how much they truly loved each other, under the lights and with everyone else clapping, is just *chef’s kiss.*

Toula And Ian’s Wedding (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

While I was never a big fan of Toula’s wedding dress (as I’m not a huge puffy dress person), I know that her and Ian’s wedding was one to remember. There was no crazy drama, no intense in-laws making lives miserable - it was a simple exchange love and vows. 

Sometimes, that’s really all you need. While the rest of the film has its crazy hilarious moments, their wedding ran so perfectly. 

Bella And Edward’s Wedding (Breaking Dawn: Part 1)

There are so many things I would change about Twilight, but thankfully, Edward and Belle’s wedding in Breaking Dawn: Part 1 is not one of them. I mean, look at that venue. Those flowers are just beautiful, and that paired with the flower arch and the forest setting is so perfect. 

I think what also makes this wedding work wonders is Bella’s dress. It’s so simple. You don’t need big puffy dresses or crazy gold embroidery - sometimes, all you need is a simple silk dress, and for Bella, it was perfect. Everything fit together so well that it gave me so many ideas for my future wedding - and I’m not even a huge fan of Twilight. 

Donna And Sam’s Wedding (Mamma Mia!)

Mamma Mia! is my ultimate comfort movie, and you can catch me supporting the Mamma Mia! cast whenever I can in whatever they do. And, this film truly took destination weddings to a whole new level. 

Getting married in Greece already sounds like paradise, but adding on that little extra bit of drama to this wedding made it even better. While Sophie and Sky were set to get married, they back out at the last minute, wanting to travel the world instead, and push forward Donna and Sam to get married - the real true lovers there. 

In an impromptu ceremony, the two declare their love for each other and get married with the sun setting in the background. Truly beautiful.

Annie And Bryan’s Wedding (Father Of The Bride)

I think every father at one point has watched Father of the Bride and cried, because they know their little girl is going to get married one day and they’ll be just like Steve Martin’s character. But, despite all the hilarious moments of this movie, the wedding was honestly stunning. 

The dress was amazing, the ceremony even better, and what really made it all the best is Steve Martin letting his little girl go to marry her true love. I cry every time. Maybe the upcoming remake will make me cry just as much. 

Queen Clarisse And Joe’s Wedding (The Princess Diaries 2)

This is another case where two people was supposed to get married and it ended up being a completely different couple. While Mia and Nicholas were set to marry, Mia changes her mind last minute, thinking she can rule as Queen on her own and instead, wishes for her grandmother, Queen Clarisse, to marry her long-time bodyguard, Joe, with the two having been in love for some time. 

It’s a sudden change, but one that’s welcome in every way, as these two were truly made for each other. That, paired with the absolutely stunning venue, makes this wedding perfect. It’s crazy that this film series has turned 20. 

Maria And Captain Von Trapp’s Wedding (The Sound Of Music)

There is just something about this wedding that makes me happy every single time I watch it. The Sound of Music deserves a modern reamake, but no one can quite replace the original, especially with this wedding scene. 

It’s a beautiful church, a simple dress for the time, the music is wonderful - everything fits together so perfectly that I'd be able understand if many people had their wedding dress made to look like Maria’s. Plus, that veil is so pretty and I want one of my own. 

Tiana And Naveen’s Wedding (The Princess And The Frog) 

Last but not least, we’re stepping into the animated realm. While I could talk about the multitude of Disney weddings, nothing quite stands out to me more than Tiana and Naveen’s wedding from The Princess and the Frog. 

I mean, the obvious is there - everything is green, since they were both frogs for a majority of the movie and turned back to humans during their first wedding. But, it just fits so well for them and they look so beautiful - and then of course it cuts to the normal wedding between them as a prince and princess, but those green outfits, paired with that amazing music, is better in my personal opinion. I guess you can only get that down in New Orleans. 

I’m sure there will be plenty more to come in the future, but these are my favorite movie weddings so far. Until I find more, I'm going to have to use these as inspiration.

You want to talk about one of my favorite modern musicals? Let’s talk about Mamma Mia!

From the brilliant songs that will surely make your head bop from side to side and get up out of your seat to dance to the fun romance that makes me smile each time, Mamma Mia! is a comfort movie at its finest, and one that I can get behind. But with a movie that’s almost fourteen years old (yes, you read that right, fourteen), one might be wondering where the cast is. 

Besides most of these actors appearing in the sequel, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! in 2018, everyone has been up to so many things, from starring roles in other musicals to major dramas and award-winning portrayals. Here is everything the cast of Mamma Mia! has done since their iconic roles. 

Meryl Streep (Donna Sheridan-Carmichael)

You want to talk about an icon, let’s talk about Donna in Mamma Mia!, played by an icon herself, Meryl Streep. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to her version of the very song, “Mamma Mia." Even so, Meryl Streep, of course, has been up to her knees in amazing movies and shows for years now.

In terms of movies, one of her highlights has been playing the legendary prime minister of England, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, for which she won an Academy Award. Some of her other major roles that you might have seen her in are Julie & Julia, the musical film, Into the Woods ,the romantic comedy, It’s Complicated, the Netflix original film, The Laundromat, the biographical movie The Post (alongside Tom Hanks), the 2021 Netflix film, Don’t Look Up, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and many, many more. 

While she focuses a lot of her talent on movies, Meryl Streep also appeared in some major TV shows, her biggest being a part of the Big Little Lies cast during Season 2. Coming up, she'll be appearing in a new TV series called Extrapolations, a new series at Apple TV+.

Amanda Seyfried (Sophie Sheridan)

The daughter of Donna, Sophie was a young woman who just wanted answers about her mother’s past in Mamma Mia!, and who could forget the sweet duet she shared with Donna in “Slipping Through My Fingers” together? Amanda Seyfried portrayed Sophie in the film, and has been quite active in movies. 

Amanda Seyfried did for a time appear in Big Love on HBO, but has mainly kept her talents to movies. Some of the highlights of her career so far include a starring role in Les Miserables, the horror film, Jennifer’s Body, The Art of Racing in the Rain, the Scooby-Doo film, Scoob!, the Netflix original film, Mank, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and her most recent entry, A Mouthful of Air. 

Soon, she'll be appearing in The Dropout, an upcoming miniseries on Hulu, playing the lead character, Elizabeth Holmes. 

Christine Baranski (Tanya Chesham-Leigh)

Next up, we have Tanya, one of Donna’s former bandmates and a bit of a vixen herself with sass for days in Mamma Mia!, played by the amazing Christine Baranski. This legendary actress has been active in both movies and TV, with some big roles in the latter. 

For movies, Baranski's popped up in films like Into the Woods, A Bad Moms Christmas, Christmas on the Square, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and more. 

But some of her biggest roles have been in television. While she’s had plenty of guest and recurring roles, one of her biggest parts thus far was portraying Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife, as well as on The Good Fight, for several episodes, and a role that she has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award numerous times. 

Coming up, Baranski has a starring role in The Gilded Age, a new HBO series, as well a role in the movie, Bad Moms' Moms, which was announced in 2019, though no new news has come out since. 

Julie Walters (Rosie Mulligan)

Next up, we have Rosie Mulligan, another one of Donna’s former bandmates who comes to Greece for this destination wedding in Mamma Mia!. Played by Julie Walters, the actress has made her way into the hearts of both movie-goers and TV lovers alike. 

With film, Walters portrayed Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter series for several years, becoming the family’s matriarch and everyone’s favorite mom. Besides that, she’s had roles in several movies like the Paddington series, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, the Pixar film, Brave, Brooklyn, Mary Poppins Returns, The Secret Garden and more. 

In television, she’s appeared in several limited series, including The Jury, The Hollow Crown, Indian Summers, National Treasure and more. She’s also used her lovely voice to narrate several documentaries, like Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport and For the Love of Britain.  

Walters doesn't seem to have anything in the works as of right now, but I'm sure it won't be long until we see her talented acting on the screen once more. 

Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael)

Next up, we have Pierce Brosnan, who played Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia!, one of the three lovely men from Donna’s past. Brosnan has, of course, been up to his knees in work. This is one of the former James Bonds we’re talking about. 

In movies, Brosnan has starred in The Ghost Writer, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief, Love Is All You Need, A Long Way Down, The Foreigner, the Amazon original movie, Cinderella, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and many others. 

Brosnan has also had success in television since his appearance, appearing in the miniseries, Bag of Bones, adapted from the Stephen King book, and The Son.  

Coming up, Brosnan is going to be appearing in a variety of movies, including DC's Black Adam, The Medusa, The Last Rifleman and more. 

Colin Firth (Harry Bright)

Moving on, we have Harry Bright, another love from Donna’s past life, played by the lovely Colin Firth. Firth, like Meryl Streep, has had quite the career after his appearance in Mamma Mia!, mainly in movies. 

Two of his biggest roles thus far in film were portraying King George VI in The King’s Speech, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as a main role in The Kingsman spy series as Harry Hart. 

Other big roles of his in the last fourteen years have included Dorian Gray, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Devil’s Knot, Bridget Jones’s Baby, 1917, Supernova, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and many more. He did appear in the romantic comedy television short, Red Nose Day Actually on television, but other than that, he has mainly stuck to the big screen.  

Firth is set to appear in a new miniseries, The Staircase, as well as appear in two new movies called Kill the Light and Empire of Light.

Stellan Skarsgard (Bill Anderson)

Next up, we have the final man from Donna’s past life in Mamma Mia!, Bill Anderson, played by Stellan Skarsgard. He has been active in Hollywood for quite some time, and has only continued to prove how much of a powerhouse he is. 

In movies, one of Skarsgard’s biggest roles was being a part of the Thor world for some time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Erik Selvig and appearing in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World, as well as The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Some of his other big roles in movies since his appearance have been Angels & Demons, Frankie and Alice, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Romeo and Juliet, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!,  Disney’s live-action Cinderella, 2021’s epic sci-fi film, Dune, and much more. 

Skarsgard has also had quite the career in television as well, appearing in shows such as Entourage, Quarry, River, and the HBO miniseries, Chernobyl. 

He’s also going to be a part of the upcoming Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe, Andor. Alongside that, Skarsgard is set to appear in the sequel to Dune, as well a new movie titled What Remains, so you'll surely see him again soon enough. 

Dominic Cooper (Sky Ramand)

Moving on, now we have Dominic Cooper, who played Sky Ramand, the care-free guy that Sophie was in love with and wanted to spend the rest of her life traveling around the world with, even after their wedding was a bust in Mamma Mia!. Dominic Cooper has also had a crazy career, both movies and television. 

Like Skargard, Cooper also went into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the role of young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger. He would go on to reprise this role in both the short film, Agent Carter and the series it was based on, and voice the role again for What If…?, one of the latest Marvel series on Disney+. 

In terms of other movies, Cooper has popped up in a variety of genres, such as An Education, My Week With Marilyn, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Need for Speed, Warcraft, The Escape, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, and more. 

Cooper, however, has kept a lot of his talent to television as he had a hit AMC show, Preacher, that he starred in for four seasons, acting a priest who gets insane powers and gives him the opportunity to find God. Besides his big role here, he’s also appeared in many other shows like The Grand Tour, Spy City and others. 

The actor is set to star in the series The Dirty Black Bag as Arthur McCoy, as well as pop up in some new movies as well, including The Duchess of Malfi, Peacock, and Nightfall.

Niall Buggy (Father Alex)

While he wasn’t in Mamma Mia! for long, Father Alex was a priest who was literally just there to get someone married and wanted to get the heck out of there as soon as possible, and he was played by Niall Buggy. 

Buggy has appeared in a variety of projects with both movies and TV. In movies, he popped up in Mr. Turner, A Girl from Mogadishu and the TV film As Luck Would Have It. He’s had many appearances in television as well, having guest roles in shows such as Jack Taylor, Will, Cobra and others.  

Buggy doesn't seem like he has anything lined up just yet to work on, but hopefully it won't be long before we see him appear on our TV screens or movie screens again. 

Philip Michael (Pepper)

Last but not least, we have Pepper, the saucy bartender who was heavily hitting on Tanya and the center of the song, “Does Your Mother Know?” in Mamma Mia! Philip Michael portrayed the role, and ever since he’s kept a relatively low profile in Hollywood, appearing in independent films or the occasional guest role in TV shows. 

This includes, but is not limited to, The Londoners, Prank Lab, Major Crimes, Luke Cage, Things Eternal, and others. He’s also had appearances in movies like The Black Hole, Trees of Peace and more. His biggest role was playing Joshua Udenze in Fair City, a long-lasting Irish TV drama. 

But it seems Michael has a lot of work coming up, including a miniseries titled Southbank, and a couple of movies titled Pride of the Fist and Ulysses Coyote, so hopefully we’ll get to see more of him soon. 

I think we need another Mamma Mia! movie, but only that happens, I can at least rewatch this films and feel happy all over again. Great, now that song is stuck in my head.  

Amanda Seyfried has solidified herself as a star of both movies and television since her first roles in the early 2000s. Appearing in big-time hits such as Mean Girls, Les Miserables and more, this actress has truly blossomed into a talented star with plenty of acting ability. And today, we’re going to celebrate with some of her best projects yet. 

Here are some of the best Amanda Seyfried movies and TV shows, and how you can watch them streaming. Who knows? You might end up just finding a new favorite movie to watch featuring our favorite girl. 

Veronica Mars (2004-2006)

On this popular teen series, Veronica Mars follows the titular character, Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), a seemingly normal everyday teen with a thirst for knowledge about mysteries, acting as a private investigator under her father, learning the ways of the world while trying to solve some of the most interesting cases out there. 

For the first two seasons, Amanda Seyfried portrayed Lilly Kane, the main subject of one of the bigger mysteries that Veronica was trying so desperately to solve. Even at such a young age, you could see just how talented Amanda Seyfried was, showing how much promise she had to come. 

Stream Veronica Mars on Hulu.

Mean Girls (2004)

Arguably what most people probably know Amanda Seyfried from is Mean Girls. This hilarious comedy told the story of Cady, a young girl who just moved from South Africa and transfers to a school in the United States, only to butt heads with the "plastics," her school's version of the popular girls. 

Amanda Seyfriend portrayed Karen Smith, one of the more naive members of the Plastics who believed that she could tell the weather by touching her breasts. I mean, that premise alone makes me laugh, but the way that Amanda Seyfried pulls it off is astounding. After seeing so many of her films, it’s always fun to return back to this one and watch her comedic timing, because truly, this just makes me want to see her in many more comedies. She’s so good at them. 

Stream Mean Girls on Paramount Plus. 
Rent Mean Girls on Amazon.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Hands down, one of my favorite modern musicals, and my ultimate feel-good movie. Mamma Mia! is based on the Broadway show of the same name, telling the story of a young girl who is about to get married. However, she’s missing one thing - her biological father. When she finds her mother’s old diary that details the summer of when she slept with three men - the same summer she was conceived - she takes it upon herself to invite them to he wedding destination to find out who is who. 

This was the first time I had ever heard Amanda Seyfried sing and act at the same time, and every time I watch Mamma Mia!, I always get the biggest smile on my face. While I do love Seyfried in her more dramatic roles, I’ve always adored her character here because she’s so genuine. All she wants is for her father to walk her down the aisle, but she comes to realize that maybe she doesn’t need to know and she can be happy just the way she is. There was also a sequel, where she shines as well.

Stream Mamma Mia! on Starz. 
Rent Mamma Mia! on Amazon.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Definitely an underrated horror movie and one that deserves so much more praise, Amanda Seyfried co-starred in Jennifer’s Body, alongside Megan Fox. In this horror film, two best friends head out for a night of fun at a bar that turns into terror. The next day, one of them starts to change, and horrible moments begin to occur. 

First off, let me tell you that Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox should have been in more movies together. These two have such amazing chemistry that I would pay so much money to see them in the same film once more. Secondly, I really love Seyfried’s character in this movie, Needy. She starts out literally being “Needy” for her best friend and evolves into a badass young woman who is willing to risk her life to save others, and I love the character progression. I wish there had been a sequel with just her after the ending. If you haven’t watched it, check it out now. 

Stream Jennifer’s Body on Amazon. 
Rent Jennifer’s Body on Apple TV+.

Dear John (2010)

If you’re looking for a romantic film mixed in with a war movie, check out Dear John, based on the novel of the same name. A tale as old as time, when two people fall in love and one of them gets sent off to war, they decide to keep in contact by constantly exchanging letters back and forth. 

You know, I don’t care what anyone says - this movie may be cliche but sometimes, you just need that kind of romance movie, and it doesn’t change the fact that Amanda Seyfried is still great in it. Dear John doesn’t have anything remotely groundbreaking in it compared to other romantic dramas out there, but it’s still a good romantic movie that boasts great couple chemistry between both Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. Give it a try if romance is your thing.

Stream Dear John on Netflix. 
Rent Dear John on Amazon.

Big Love (2006-2011)

I bet when you think of HBO, you think of dramas, and Big Love was one of those for some time. This series, starring several big-time stars, follows a practicing Mormon family that practices polygamy, following their every day lives while living in Utah. 

Amanda Seyfried played Sarah Henrickson, one of the daughters in the family, and watching this makes me want to see more of her in the future in TV shows as a main character. While I do love her in movies, I feel like Big Love was such a reset in her career because it not only allowed her to show off her acting ability on a weekly basis but her skills in a dramatic role. I also loved the contrast between her character and her family. It creates a sense of conflict that makes it hard to look away from the television screen. 

Stream Big Love on HBO Max.

Les Miserables (2012)

I think at this point everyone has heard of Tom Hooper's Les Miserables. This musical movie, based on the musical production of the same name, mainly follows Jean Valjean, a man who had served many years in prison after stealing a loaf of bread, and when he is released, focuses on his new life when he meets the little girl, Cosette. 

Look, I’m one of the first people to say that the movie isn’t as great as the stage production. It has its moments, but as someone who loves musical theater, it could have been better. That being said, I did love many of the portrayals in the movie, and that includes Amanda Seyfried as Cosette. She had that perfect combination of a girl who is happy with what she has but wanting more with someone else, mixed in with her singing voice. While I do think some things could have been done better, there’s no denying that Seyfried has so much talent. 

Stream Les Miserables on Netflix. 
Rent Les Miserables on Amazon. 

The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2019)

I’ll be honest - this film will make you cry. The Art of Racing in the Rain, based on the book of the same name, follows Denny, a race car driver who has a very special connection with his dog Enzo. And this dog has a mind of his own - an idea of what life could be like after he dies. 

I know, I’m probably already making your heart clench with the idea of a movie where the dog actively knows it’s going to die, but The Art of Racing in the Rain is a great comedy-drama that tells a sweet story about a person and the love they have for their animal, and how that love can transfer over to others. Amanda Seyfried’s character, Eve, has amazing chemistry with Milo Ventimiglia’s character, effectively feeling like a real relationship that anyone could relate to. And let’s be honest - the Golden Retriever is the cutest dog you’ve ever seen, almost on par with Lucky from Hawkeye. 

Rent The Art of Racing in the Rain on Amazon.

Scoob! (2020)

Amanda Seyfried decided to step into the world of voice-acting for this one. In Scoob!, we see the origin story of everyone’s favorite animated dog, Scooby-Doo, and years later when he, his owner, Shaggy, and his friends of Mystery Incorporated are involved in their biggest mystery yet. 

Seyfried voices Daphne, one of the members of Mystery Inc. and a part of the all-star Scoob! cast. Hear me out - as someone who literally talked about the best Scooby-Doo movies, I can assure you that Scoob! is a good time. The cast does an excellent job with their voice roles, including Seyfried’s Daphne, and they all mold very well together, creating a fun experience for not only new faces to the franchise but old fans as well. It’s a fun time, regardless of how old you are. 

Stream Scoob! on HBO Max. 
Buy Scoob! on Amazon. 

Mank (2020)

Next up, we have the Netflix original film, Mank, directed by David Fincher. This drama tells the story of the real-life screenwriter, Herman Mankiewicz, otherwise known as “Mank,” and his struggles with trying to create the next big hit for film. This, in turn, led him to create one of the most known films of all time, Citizen Kane. 

Amanda Seyfried portrayed Marion Davies, a real-life actress who was close with Herman and had a big influence on the screenplay he was writing, and her portrayal is wonderful from beginning to end. While Amanda Seyfried shines in a lot of modern-set movies like Mamma Mia! or A Mouthful of Air, I've always loved her in these period pieces, as you can really tell the dedication she pours into the role to fully become that character. 

Stream Mank on Netflix.

A Mouthful Of Air (2021)

Last but not least, we have Seyfried’s latest entry into the film world, A Mouthful of Air. This drama film tells the story of a young woman who faces something that so many new mothers face today - postpartum depression, and how it affects her life following the birth of her son. 

I wish that this movie had gotten more attention than it did because this, to me, is one of Seyfried’s best performances. It feels so real. This isn’t a fantasy movie or a musical or even a romantic drama. It’s a genuine story about a very real topic that many can likely relate to. The emotion that Seyfried portrays is so raw and enthralling that you’ll be entranced by her performance from start to finish. Truly, one of her best. 

Rent A Mouthful of Air on Amazon.

With so many amazing films and TV shows, one can only wonder what Amanda Seyfriend will do next. Could the Mean Girls cast reunite for a second movie? Perhaps another fun Mamma Mia! movie? Only time will tell. 

There are some legendary people who are known in Hollywood, actors whose careers have spanned decades, that everyone knows about. One of those people is Meryl Streep. In my opinion, she is the undisputed queen of the film industry, with a record twenty-one Academy Award nominations. But, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would debate me on that. 

From the beginning of her career, to some of her latest entries, Meryl Streep has kept going strong. In honor of one of her newest movie coming out soon on Netflix, Don’t Look Up, here are some of the best Meryl Streep movies that are currently streaming right now, or available to rent.  

The Iron Lady (2011)

The biographical drama, The Iron Lady is about the life and career of Margaret Thatcher, a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the longest time in the 20th century, and was also the first woman to hold the office. 

Margaret Thatcher was a strong woman in her position and worked her way up in the world, becoming one of the most influential political figures during her time. Only one of the best actresses ever could play someone like her - and Meryl Streep killed it. Winning an Oscar for her role, Streep perfectly portrays the politician, from the beginning of her career all the way to the end. I could re-watch this film over and over for her iconic work. Most certainly one of the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Stream The Iron Lady on Amazon. 
Rent The Iron Lady on Apple TV+.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking. 

In this comedy based on the novel of the same name, The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy, a young woman who wants to make it as a journalist in New York City, so she applies for a job as an assistant for the fashionable Miranda Priestly. However, being her personal assistant is far more involved than she ever thought it would be. 

Look, I love Meryl Streep in dramatic roles. But, even I have to admit that she kills it in this role (and is comically scary) as Miranda Priestly. I mean, just watching her in the movie makes me feel insecure about how I look, and she’s not even a real person. The Devil Wears Prada cast in general is full of stars, but Meryl Streep is the one who stole the show. 

Stream The Devil Wears Prada on Starz. 
Rent The Devil Wears Prada on Amazon.

Little Women (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Little Women is another Meryl Streep classic that we have to talk about. Based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name, the movie follows the March sisters in Massachusetts during the 19th century, focusing on their goals to find more in their life than what they have been given. 

The movie is amazing in every way, and the Little Women cast is full of stars such as Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and more, but no one is better than Meryl Streep as Aunt March. Not only does she perfectly capture the character from the novel, she delivers a performance that is unforgettable and shows just how powerful this woman was in her family. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, so you should definitely check it out when you can. 

Stream Little Women on Starz. 

Rent/Buy Little Women on Amazon. 

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Next up, we have the movie musical, Mamma Mia!. Here, a bride-to-be is trying to find her real father to walk her down the aisle, but in doing so, brings back plenty of memories for that one special summer her mother had all those years ago. 

Meryl Streep in musicals is something I wish we got more of. While I did love her in both Into the Woods and Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of The Prom, I will always love her the most in Mamma Mia! for one specific reason. Streep always does so many dramatic roles, but Mamma Mia! is the first role where she genuinely looks like she is carefree and just having a fun time. While she’s not in the sequel as much, I still love to see that smile along her lips and hear her laugh, especially when she sings “Dancing Queen.”

Stream Mamma Mia! on Showtime. 
Rent Mamma Mia! on Amazon.

Sophie’s Choice (1982)

Bit of a change in tone from our last pick, but next up is Sophie’s Choice. In this WWII drama, Meryl Streep stars as Sophie, a Polish immigrant with a dark secret from her past, who shares a Brooklyn boarding house with her lover, Nathan, and a writer. 

Meryl Streep is phenomenal in her role. Winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sophie’s Choice was well-deserved. I’ll be honest - this movie is one of those where you only need to see it once, but it will change you for the rest of your life. It’s heartbreaking, acted to perfection, and beautifully tragic. If you’re a film buff, Sophie’s Choice is a movie you must see. 

Stream Sophie’s Choice on Amazon.
Rent Sophie’s Choice on Apple TV+. 

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Moving on, we have Kramer vs. Kramer. This brilliant courtroom drama follows the story of a couple and their divorce, how it impacts their young son, and the evolution of their relationship and views on parenting, together and apart. 

Fun fact - Kramer vs. Kramer was the first Meryl Streep film I ever saw, and boy what a great one to start out on. Meryl Streep (who, again, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) is fantastic, alongside her onscreen ex-husband, Dustin Hoffman, who also won for Best Actor. I think what I like the most about Kramer vs. Kramer is that it feels very realistic, touching on several social issues that are still relevant to this day, such as the idea of gender roles in a relationship, a work-life balance, single parenting, and more. 

Stream Kramer vs. Kramer on HBO Max. 
Rent Kramer vs. Kramer on Amazon.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Julie & Julia is a biographical comedy-drama, contrasting the life of famous chef, Julia Child in the early years of her career, and New Yorker Julie Powell, who wants to cook all 524 recipes from Child’s cookbook over the course of a year, a challenge that ended up making her a published writer. 

This movie is an absolute delight. Really. I could re-watch Julie & Julia many times and still never get tired of it, just because it’s such a great story. Both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are brilliant in their roles, but what takes the cake is the true difference between their lives, and how they intersect near the end. Plus, if you want to see some really good food, this is your movie. 

Stream Julie & Julia on Starz. 
Rent Julie & Julia on Amazon. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

I bet you didn’t think you’d see an animated film here, but here we are. In Fantastic Mr. Fox, we follow the titular character, whose habit of stealing things gets his family and his community in danger when they are hunted down by three farmers. 

Wes Anderson movies are great, in my opinion. They’re always so colorful and full of life, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my favorites, and one of the great stop motion movies as well. Meryl Streep, who voices Felicity Fox (Mr. Fox’s wife) has such a lovely voice that fits the character perfectly, and the rest of the voice cast is wonderful as well. It’s a simple story, but a great one nonetheless, and one you should definitely watch if you haven’t yet. 

Stream Fantastic Mr. Fox on Disney+. 
Rent Fantastic Mr. Fox on Amazon.

Out Of Africa (1985)

Next up is the romantic drama, Out of Africa. This critically acclaimed movie is based on the book of the same name, and follows the life of Karen Blixen, who established a plantation in Africa. It shows her complicated life involving her husband, her true love, the war, and everything else. 

Out of Africa is just another one of those great movies Meryl Streep rocked in. Her portrayal of Karen, the author of the book, garnered her another Oscar nomination, and the movie itself won both Best Picture and Best Director, along with five other awards. I feel that out of most of her films, this is one of the few that doesn’t get talked about as much, but it deserves as much praise as others on this list. 

Rent Out of Africa on Amazon. 

Doubt (2008)

Meryl Streep nabbed another Oscar nod for this one. Doubt takes place in a Roman Catholic elementary school, led by Sister Aloysius. But, when she finds out that Father Flynn is paying too much attention to the school’s only black student, she decides to take it upon herself to investigate Flynn’s behavior. 

Now this is a true drama, from start to finish. Doubt is an amazingly acted masterpiece of a movie that tells a thrilling story. Meryl Streep in the lead role as Sister Aloysius was the perfect choice. My favorite scenes of hers were most definitely with Philip Seymour Hoffman. You could feel the tension in the room when those two were in it. 

Stream Doubt on HBO Max. 
Rent Doubt on Amazon. 

The Post (2017)

Starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, The Post tells the story of the journalists at the Washington Post, who are trying to publish the infamous Pentagon Papers, and their struggles to get everything available to the public to expose the government. 

The Post is an amazing film for many reasons. Both Hanks and Streep are great, but the whole cast is phenomenal as well, with the likes of Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Alison Brie, and many others stealing scenes. Steven Spielberg directed The Post and created a truly riveting tale about a real-life story, with an amazing cast. 

Rent The Post on Amazon.

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Death Becomes Her is about rivals who are fighting for the affections of the same man, and drink a magic potion that promises eternal youth but causes unpleasant side effects. 

While Death Becomes Her didn’t have the best reviews back then, it’s become a very popular cult film now, with praise for its pioneering in CGI, and the acting abilities of the main three leads, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis. Again, Meryl Streep is the queen of drama, but seeing her in something like a black comedy and killing it just shows the versatility this amazing actress has. Also, I wish she and Hawn were in so many more movies together - they are hilarious. 

Stream Death Becomes Her on Showtime. 
Rent Death Becomes Her on Amazon.

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Next up, we have The Deer Hunter. In this war movie, we follow a trio of Russian-American steelworkers, whose lives were forever changed after their involvement in the Vietnam War. 

This was Meryl Streep’s first Academy Award nomination, and one that is very well deserved. She was fantastic in her role as Linda, as was the rest of the cast. I mean, with big names like Robert De Nero, Christopher Walken and more, the film has to be good, and trust me The Deer Hunter is one of the best war movies out there. Anyone who likes that genre of film should love it. 

Stream The Deer Hunter on Peacock. 
Rent The Deer Hunter on Amazon. 

The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)

Lastly, we have The Bridges of Madison County. This romantic drama, directed by Clint Eastwood, tells the story of war bride Francesca Johnson, who lives with her husband and kids on a farm in Iowa, but when she meets National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid, her life changes forever. 

I mean, how can you get more iconic than Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood in the same movie? I really like The Bridges of Madison County. It capitalizes on the passion of romance and the intense feelings couples have when they are first together, and how that distracts them from real life and their duties. Eastwood and Streep have amazing chemistry, and meld a love story for the ages. 

Rent The Bridges of Madison County on Amazon.

I can’t wait to see what this amazing actress does next, but until we get updates on her next movies, I’ll just sit back and re-watch some of Meryl Streep’s best films. Today feels like a Devil Wears Prada kind of day.