Mamma Mia Star Stellan Skarsgard says he'll dead by the time the third film is written

Mamma Mia!
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Stellan Skarsgard is pretty sure he'll be dead by the time Mamma Mia 3 comes around.

"I will be in an urn by the time there's a script for Mamma Mia 3," Skarsgard told Vogue. "But I will gladly participate as a pile of ashes."

The actor played Bill Anderson, one of Sophie's (Amanda Seyfried) three possible fathers in both Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia!  Here We Go Again, who eventually falls in love with Donna's (Meryl Streep) friend Rosie Mulligan (Dame Julie Walters).

Earlier this year, producer Judy Craymer told Deadline that a script for a third film was "in its earliest stages" and that star Streep would definitely come back if "the script was right."

Streep told Vogue: "We might have to call it Grand-Mamma Mia! by the time we make it!"

The musical movie, based on the music of Swedish pop sensations ABBA, became fifth-highest grossing movie of 2008, grossing $52 million against a budget of $11 million. Phyllida Lloyd directed the film from a screenplay by Catherine Johnson.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, directed by OI Parker, was released ten years later in 2018. The film, which serves as both a prequel and a sequel, grossed over $400 million against a $75 million budget. There's no official word on when a third film will be released, but we'll definitely be here for it – and hopefully so will Stellan Skarsgard.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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