Loads of fans, myself included, have been absolutely loving Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again,
though something that has disappointed some is Meryl Streep's miniscule role in the movie.
Yippee-ki-yay movie lovers, it's Jan here and in this video, I'm going to reveal the
real reason why we see so little Streep in the sequel and I'll also explain the behind-the-scenes
decisions that led to that scene with Donna.
Be aware there are spoilers ahead for Donna's story in Mamma Mia 2 if you haven't seen it
yet.
When the first trailer for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again dropped, speculation ran wild
that Donna was no longer alive.
While Meryl Streep's appearance was teased in some bits of new footage, the overall tone
suggested Donna had passed away.
Indeed, Sophie addresses her mother's absence right at the start of the new movie, and it's
revealed soon after that Donna has died.
I'm glad the filmmakers ripped off that Band-Aid instead of making us wait to find out Donna's
fate, though it did make for a somewhat melancholy tone in some of the present-day scenes, and
it's a little frustrating we got no explanation as to what happened.
We do, of course, get a brilliant prequel story with Lily James as the young Donna,
but Meryl Streep herself doesn't appear in person until the very final scene in the chapel
where she's a ghostly apparition only seen by her daughter and then she also performs
in the Super Trouper song.
Watching Streep and Amanda Seyfried sing 'My Love, My Life' in that closing scene is a
very touching moment, as mother and daughter are reunited one final time.
However, it's also heart-breaking and has had many fans crying their eyes out at the
cinema.
So, why exactly did the filmmakers really make this particular story choice?
Something that was kept pretty hush-hush during the publicity tour for Mamma Mia 2 is that
Meryl Streep wasn't keen on doing a sequel.
Here We Go Again writer-director Ol Parker has admitted that Streep's small role in the
new movie wasn't due to scheduling conflicts.
In fact, he said that if Streep had taken the main lead role in the sequel, then the
production would have moved its schedule to accommodate her.
After all, they waited 10 years to do Mamma Mia 2, so I doubt another 6 or 12 months would
have mattered.
The main issue was that Streep didn't want such a major part in any sequel.
Indeed, Mamma Mia creator Judy Craymer revealed that Streep told her she would never take
on all that singing and running around on clifftops again.
And that's not because she didn't enjoy making the first movie, it's just that during her
incredible career, the three-time Oscar-winning actress has, until now, never made a sequel.
Streep is one of Hollywood's most versatile and successful actresses and she's rightly
willing to turn down roles if they don't peak her interest enough.
I certainly can't fault her for wanting to keep her career and life fresh for herself,
and let's remember, of course, that on top of that, she's 69 now, 10 years older than
when she made the original Mamma Mia.
Still, Streep DID want "to be involved" in the sequel in some way, so the challenge was
for the filmmakers to figure out a follow-up story that worked with drastically less Donna.
Ol Parker who was tasked with writing the script for Mamma Mia 2 struggled initially,
coming up empty on ideas.
Obviously, Donna isn't the only main character in Mamma Mia, however, the core of the story
has always centred around her and her daughter Sophie, so cutting out Donna left a big hole.
The solution eventually came from Richard Curtis's daughter who suggested they take
a cue from one of the most famous and best-ever movie sequels, The Godfather Part 2, in other
words, do a prequel-meets-sequel.
By writing a prequel story with a new young cast, it meant that the much-loved character
of Donna could remain centre-stage in Mamma Mia 2 without Streep actually appearing on
screen for most of the movie.
The original film had hinted at a rich backstory for Donna which gave the filmmakers plenty
of ideas to explore in the Young Donna storyline.
As for how Streep's small part in the movie would work, Ol Parker decided that the "most
meaningful and emotional and impactful way" would be for Donna to die.
That decision was discussed with everyone and Streep was reported to be "thrilled and
delighted" with passing the baton to the younger cast.
Now, your feelings on whether the producers made a good decision in killing off Donna
will vary, I'm sure.
Ol Parker himself has said that he knew the decision would be a radical and controversial
one and that the audience would decide whether it was "radical good or radical bad."
Donna's passing is obviously felt throughout the movie, from Rosie bursting into tears
when her name is mentioned to Sam singing a plaintive 'S.O.S.' by himself in contrast
to the 'S.O.S.' duet he sang with Meryl Streep in the first movie.
Amanda Seyfried said she thinks the sequel is better, and called the first movie "a beach"
in comparison to Here We Go Again which she described as "an ocean" in terms of its emotional
depth.
And, I suspect, that the slightly darker tone and story of Mamma Mia 2 might have played
better for critics in their reviews of this film compared to the first one.
As for me, I really enjoyed the new movie though I have some mixed feelings.
One part of me wishes they could have figured out a clever story that kept Donna alive and
managed to have Meryl Streep appear for at least a few more scenes.
However, I realise that, both story-wise and given the amount of time they had with Streep,
that would have been a rather difficult feat to pull off, without having some overly-convoluted
reasoning for why Sophie's mother was absent.
Something that occurred to me is that in Mamma Mia 2, young Donna's friends try to convince
her to go out and see the world rather than stay on the island, so maybe that idea could
have worked for present-day Donna.
Despite some melancholy moments then, the sequel is still full of charm and has lots
of joyous, celebratory scenes, culminating in the curtain-call performance of Super Trouper
where Meryl Streep joins all the old and new cast for a final rousing number.
Now, I'd love to know what you think about Meryl Streep's role in the movie, so I've
added a poll where you can vote.
Just tap in the top right of this video and after you've cast your vote, you'll be able
to see the results.
And don't forget to subscribe and leave a comment for your chance to win one of these
awesome Mamma Mia 2 merch packs.
Remember also to click the Gleam link in the video description below to register your entry!
Tap left to watch another Mamma Mia 2 video or tap right for my full Mamma Mia and musicals
playlist.
Thanks for watching and see ya next time.
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers!
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