Here we go again — Stellan Skarsgård is dropping hints that Meryl Streep could return in a possible third Mamma Mia movie.
“Everybody can be brought back in the movies,” Skarsgård, 74, assured Us Weekly in the 2026 Golden Globe Awards press room on Sunday, January 11. “In the movies, it’s fantastic!”
Streep’s involvement in a potential Mamma Mia 3 has always been questionable since her character, Donna Sheridan, was killed off before the events of 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
The three-time Oscar winner still returned for dream sequences in Here We Go Again, while Lily James played a younger version of Donna in flashback scenes. (Both Mamma Mia and Here We Go Again are inspired by the music of iconic Swedish pop group ABBA.)
Donna May Be Dead, But Meryl Says Talks for ‘Mamma Mia! 3’ Are ‘Imminent’
Regardless of Streep’s potential involvement, the newly minted Golden Globe winner did have an exciting update on another Mamma Mia sequel becoming a reality.
“A lot of people are working on it to bring it back,” Skarsgård revealed to Us.
He then teased with a sly smile, “She’s not dead, you know! Meryl Streep [as Donna] is not dead!”
Mamma Mia producer Judy Craymer revived talk of a new sequel in October 2023 when she told Variety that the project “will happen” eventually.
“I’m in the privileged position that I have Universal Studios wanting to do it, who I love working with, and I have a storyline,” Cramer, 68, said. “It just always takes a certain amount of time with Mamma Mia. [ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus] always take a certain amount of convincing. I don’t know how much more convincing they’re gonna have because everybody wants another film.”
Several Mamma Mia cast members have echoed Skarsgård’s interest in returning for another sequel. James confirmed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in October 2020 that she would be “signed, sealed, delivered” for a sequel, while Amanda Seyfried — who portrayed Donna’s daughter, Sophie — assured Deadline in September 2025 that the project was moving forward.
“It is [happening], I think,” she hesitantly confirmed at the Toronto International Film Festival at the time. “We all said, yeah, definitely! It’s our way of marketing and getting support. … Big movies like that are all about studio timing.”
Seyfried even pitched her Housemaid costar Sydney Sweeney for a part in Mamma Mia 3 during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in November 2025.
“Sydney Sweeney could show up,” she declared at the 16th annual Governor Awards in Los Angeles. “There’s a bunch of girls that really want to be a part of it, and I’m all for it.”
Amanda Seyfried Cosigns Sabrina Carpenter as Her Daughter in ‘Mamma Mia 3’
The 2008 film adaptation of the Broadway musical revolved around Donna’s daughter, Sophie (Seyfried), getting married on the fictional Greek island Kalokairi. However, Sophie’s destination wedding turns into a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally figure out her long-lost father’s identity, as Donna’s ex-boyfriends Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Skarsgård) and Harry (Colin Firth) all show up on the island.
In the 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Sophie comes to grips with the recent death of her mother, as new secrets about Donna’s lost summer in 1979 are uncovered. The two movie musicals made a combined $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are available to stream on Peacock.
