Box Office: Amanda Seyfried fuels Mamma Mia 3 hopes; A look at the franchise’s box office triumphs

Amanda Seyfried’s playful comment about Mamma Mia 3 in a recent interview has reignited buzz. As speculation grows, we look back at the franchise’s impressive box office success.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 08, 2025 | 03:01 PM IST | 60.4K

Picture Courtesy: Universal Pictures

Amanda Seyfried has reignited buzz around a potential third installment in the beloved Mamma Mia franchise with a playful comment about when fans might see the highly anticipated threequel. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress joked that Mamma Mia 3 could arrive before 2038 and would, of course, be set in Greece. While her remarks leaned more toward a joke, they have once again—and rightly—fueled fans' hopes about the celebrated musical franchise returning to the big screen. If it does return, it would come as no surprise given the successful theatrical runs of the first two entries in the series.

A Box Office Hit Over the Years

The Mamma Mia franchise has been a major box office success, with both films delivering strong earnings worldwide. The 2008 outing was made on a budget of USD 52 million and went on to gross USD 584.4 million globally, making it one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time. The sequel, which came out a decade after the first film and was titled Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, raked in USD 393 million worldwide on a slightly bigger budget of USD 75 million.

While the latter film did not surpass the original’s total, it did enough business to prove that audiences had a strong appetite for more ABBA-infused storytelling.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, music from the said Swedish icons adds much-appreciated emotional depth to the films' narratives.

The Story So Far

The first Mamma Mia film, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and based on the aforementioned group's stage musical, followed the story of Sophie (Seyfried), a young woman who invites three men—played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård—to her wedding, hoping one of them would be her father. Meryl Streep plays Sophie’s mother, Donna, in the film, with Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, and Dominic Cooper rounding out the cast.

The 2018 sequel, Here We Go Again, directed by Ol Parker, serves as both a prequel and a sequel to Mamma Mia! It alternates between the present-day storyline and flashbacks to Donna’s youth, with Lily James playing the younger version of Streep. The film also introduced new characters, including Cher as Donna’s mother, and features more ABBA hits.

Analyzing the Realistic Potential of Mamma Mia 3

Seyfried’s joke isn’t the first time a third film has been mentioned. In 2023, producer Judy Craymer revealed in an interview with Variety that Universal Studios had expressed interest in continuing the Mamma Mia saga. While no official plans have been announced, the idea of another installment remains alive and well.