Summary
- Amanda Seyfried reveals that she hoped Stellan Skarsgård's character Bill was Sophie's real father in Mamma Mia, citing his strength and vulnerability in a scene as the reason.
- The possibility of a Mamma Mia 3 has been teased, with the cast expressing eagerness to return and director Ol Parker hinting at a trilogy.
- ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have been reluctant about a third movie, as most of their well-known songs have already been used, but never say never.
The question of who is Sophie's dad in Mamma Mia has never officially been answered. Even after the events of the sequel movie provided flashbacks to before Sophie was born, the question lingers, prompting a lot of fan speculation about Sophie's father's identity. Fans and cast members alike have their own preferences for who Sophie might have called "dad." Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried reveals which one of Sophie's three dads she would have liked to have been the biological father.
Mamma Mia first landed on the big screen in 2008 and adapted the stage show, which had adapted ABBA's beloved music into a jukebox musical movie. Seyfried starred alongside Meryl Streep, who played her mother Donna Sheridan. Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth featured as her character Sophie's three potential fathers, Sam, Bill, and Harry. All three of the characters had a relationship with Donna during the summer before Sophie was born. However, both Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia! Here We Ago Again left the identity of Sophie's father unconfirmed.
Amanda Seyfried Wanted Bill To Be Her Character's Father
Sitting down with Vanity Fair to take a retrospective look at her career, Seyfried watched a few clips of many of the past roles she's best-known for, like Mean Girls and Jennifer's Body, but also her breakout performance in Mamma Mia. While watching clips from the movie, Seyfried revealed how difficult some of the numbers were for her to film, but also talked about a scene in Mamma Mia between her and Stellan Skarsgård in which Sophie asks Bill if he's her dad point-blank. It's that emotional scene that struck her.
When revisiting that emotional moment between Sophie and Bill, Seyfried shared that Bill was who she had hoped was Sophie's real father in Mamma Mia. She explained that there was a strength and vulnerability in the actor during the scene that made her really believe that Bill should be Sophie's father. Seyfried went on to explain:
"I think because of this moment, I always like secretly hoped it was Stellan that was really her father. Bill, I’m sorry. Bill. He was the person who seemed the least likely to wanna have kids. And I think [it went] from realization to acceptance."
Will There Be A Mamma Mia 3?
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again reignited the love for this all-singing, all-dancing spectacle, which highlights the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. After the majority of the Mamma Mia cast returned for its much-anticipated sequel, questions rose about whether the feel-good franchise will continue with a third installment at some point in the future. As of right now, there are no concrete plans for Mamma Mia 3, although a number of the Mamma Mia cast have expressed their eagerness to return.
Lily James, who played the younger Donna in the Mamma Mia sequel, has helmed the campaigns for Mamma Mia 3, and several co-stars have echoed a similar sentiment. Brosnan, Firth, and Skarsgård each shared that they were willing to reprise their roles, while Christine Baranski also stated that she would happily return to Greece to shoot a third film. With the cast on board and eager to make Mamma Mia 3 happen, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker acknowledged the "hunger" for a third film, teasing that the Mamma Mia franchise was always planned as a trilogy.
Because Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again did kill off Donna, there as been debate about whether Meryl Streep would be interested in returning for a third movie. She's made it clear in interviews that she would be up for it. It's not clear in what capacity she would be involved, but she told Voge, "I’m up for anything. I’ll have to schedule a knee scoping before we film, but if there’s an idea that excites me, I’m totally there." She also joked about the long process to get the movie made, saying that it might have to be called "Grand-Mamma Mia" by the time it could be filmed.
Though the cast might be excited to return, Abba members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have been reluctant about the idea of a third movie musical. They were on board for the first movie because it adapted the stage play, but they feel most of their well-known songs have already been used, making a third outing more difficult. Though Ulvaues said, "never say never," the two might need a little more convincing.
Seyfried's comments are guaranteed to stir a debate regarding the likelihood of either Bill, Harry, or Sam being Sophie's biological dad. Despite Sophie making the touching decision not to find out who her father is and instead embracing all three men as her father figures in Mamma Mia, some theories emerged that Bill seems the most likely to be her real father. With such fond memories of her time shooting Mamma Mia, it remains to be seen whether Seyfried and her co-stars will be back on Kalokairi soon for one last hurrah.
Source: Vanity Fair, Vogue