Why Meryl Streep Had a Smaller Role for Mamma Mia 2 (2024)

Meryl Streep, a Hollywood heavy hitter, has the resume to pick and choose her roles, and she has a reputation for taking on fresh and challenging parts. That's likely why the part of Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! appealed to her. Playing a mother with a complicated past who occasionally breaks out in song isn't something that comes around every day. However, sequels are more complicated (as in the case of Downton Abbey: A New Era) because Streep isn't as passionate about them. This preference possibly influenced why Meryl Streep didn't fully return in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

The widespread success of the original Mamma Mia! begged for a sequel, but Streep and many of the other original cast members were initially uninterested in a Mamma Mia! 2. Director Ol Parker explained, saying, "There was always a massive desire for a sequel. The studio couldn't have wanted it more, given how much money the original made. But immediately, there was just a struggle. Not every story needs another chapter. So they couldn't really find a proper version that actually made dramatic sense."

Updated by Alex Roush on August 11, 2024: Mamma Mia! 3 may not be in official production yet, but many cast members have expressed their interest in returning to the hit musical franchise if given the opportunity. However, after starring as Donna Sheridan in the original film, Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep mostly sat out of the sequel, leaving audiences to wonder if she would even return should a third film actually happen. This list has been updated to include additional information on Streep's current roles, enhance the reader experience, and fit current CBR formatting guidelines.

Why Is Meryl Streep Not in Mamma Mia! 2?

The Academy Award-Winning Actor Was Initially Uninterested in a Sequel, but Loved the Idea of a Prequel-Sequel

• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released on July 12, 2018.
• The second Mamma Mia! film has a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Audiences gave Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again a 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Meryl Streep may not have been interested in starring in being a part of the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again cast, but writer Richard Curtis' daughter gave him the idea to write a movie woven with the threads of a prequel. By having Donna die between the end of the first movie and the start of the second, they could tell more of Donna's story via flashbacks. Curtis felt the movie flowed best that way anyway, describing it as "the most meaningful and emotional and impactful way to tell that story."

Killing Streep's character off also allowed the creators to bring her a role of just one minor scene playing a ghost and singing just a couple of songs. Because of the prequel flashbacks, the rest of Donna's presence in the movie was played by Pam & Tommy's Lily James, who portrayed a younger version of the character. Thankfully, Streep was intrigued by the concept and agreed to do the film, if only in a minor role.

Meryl Streep Was Still Involved in Mamma Mia! 2

Streep's Involvement in the Sequel Convinced Other Cast Members to Return

• Like the original film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again features hit songs from ABBA's discography, including "Mamma Mia," "Dancing Queen," "Waterloo," "Fernando," and many more.
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again adds several notable actors to its ensemble cast, including Lily James and Andy Garcia.
• Unlike the 2008 film, Here We Go Again is not based on any source material, but rather features an original story.

While Meryl Streep wasn't actively involved in most of the production of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, her separation from the franchise certainly wasn't a result of a lack of interest on the actress's part. "I think she felt that she liked the idea of leaving this to the younger ones, and she wanted to be involved, but she wasn't gonna take on such a big role," the franchise's creator, Judy Craymer, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Craymer went on, saying "I think that helped explore the emotional heft of what director Ol Parker wrote in the fact that it's a story of life and marriage and loss and love."

Once Streep was on board with this new and exciting take on the original story, the rest of the original cast trickled back in as well. Streep was the face of Mamma Mia! when the original movie came out in 2008. Developing a follow-up that would both do justice to the first story and entice their original leading lady back took the creators a decade, leading to complications.

Meryl Streep was originally hesitant to return for a sequel to Mamma Mia!, as she typically avoids participating in sequel films. It makes sense for an Academy Award-winning actor to feel this way, as Streep probably always wants to keep her filmography fresh for her career. Thus, the idea of a prequel and sequel melded together was born. Streep took the leap and made Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again happen even without putting in lots of screen time.

Will Meryl Streep Return For Mamma Mia 3?

Although a Third Film Has Yet to be Confirmed, Meryl Streep Has Expressed Interest in Reprising Her Role as Donna

• The original Mamma Mia! musical opened on April 6, 1999, at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.
• The original Broadway cast for Mamma Mia! included Louise Pitre as Donna Sheridan, Judy Kaye as Rosie, and Karen Mason as Tanya.
• Mamma Mia! was on Broadway for over a decade, running between 2001 and 2013.

Despite not returning for a meatier role in Here We Go Again!, Meryl Streep is willing to return for Mamma Mia!3, according to a 2023 interview with Vogue. The Oscar-winning actress voiced her excitement about potentially coming back to the franchise despite her character's death. "I told Judy [Craymer] if she could figure out a way to reincarnate Donna, I'm into that," the actress delightfully explained, going on to playfully suggest that she play Donna's twin sister in a soap opera-like twist.

Given Streep's statement, it seems safe to assume that audiences will once again see Donna's return in some way, shape, or form if a third Mamma Mia! film ever happens. Donna could possibly return again in flashbacks, this time as a new mother to Sophie. Her experiences as a mother to a newborn or young child could mirror Sophie's role as a first-time mother to her son, whom she gave birth to at the end of the second film.

What Is Meryl Streep Working On Now?

Streep Is Slated To Appear in Several Upcoming Projects

• Meryl Streep’s first feature film appearance was in Julia, which was released in 1977 and starred Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.
• Streep is confirmed to appear in The Devil Wears Prada sequel, the first sequel movie she has agreed to appear in.
• The next on-screen appearance of Streep will be in Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, releasing on August 27, 2024.

Meryl Streep’s most recent on-screen role was in Extrapolations (2023), a TV Drama Series depicting a dystopian world suffering from severe impacts of global warming. The series shows viewers what could happen on Earth if the climate crisis worsens, and Streep appears as Eve in Episode 2, "2046: Whale Fall." In the episode, she stresses the importance of taking immediate action to combat climate change rather than being angry about past failures. Streep also appears in Only Murders in the Building, portraying Loretta Durkin in Season 3 (released in August 2023) and Season 4 (will be released in August 2024).

The most recent movie featuring Meryl Streep, Don’t Look Up, was released on December 24, 2021, and follows two astronomers as they try to tell the world about an incoming meteor, one that will destroy mankind as we know it. Streep plays President Janie Orlean, an obvious caricature of Donald Trump, who is dismissive of the astronomers’ findings. Streep will also be reprising the role of Miranda Priestly in the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada sequel movie, which surprised many fans due to Streep's known disinterest in sequels.

For a franchise with an A-list ensemble cast like Mamma Mia!'s, it can be difficult to get everyone back for an additional film. Nevertheless, producer Judy Craymer seems determined to do exactly that, revealing in 2023 that a script is already in the process of being created. Streep's assertion that she would return no doubt helps raise excitement for a third installment in the jukebox musical franchise, as viewers prepare to visit Kalokairi's beautiful shores one more time.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

PG-13

Musical

Romance

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Five years after the events of Mamma Mia! (2008), Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna as she learns more about her mother's past.

Release Date

July 20, 2018

Director

Ol Parker

Cast

Lily James , Amanda Seyfried , Meryl Streep

Runtime

1 Hour 54 Minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

Writers

Ol Parker , Richard Curtis , Catherine Johnson

Producer

Gary Goetzman, Judy Craymer

Production Company

Universal Pictures, Legendary Entertainment, Perfect World Pictures, Littlestar, Playtone, Dentsu, Fuji Television Network, Croatian Audiovisual Centre