Amanda Seyfried on the Possibility of Another ‘Mamma Mia!' Installment: ‘Show Me the Money!'
Here we go again…again. Well, maybe. As much fervor as there is for another 'Mamma Mia!' installment, the film series' main star, Amanda Seyfried knows that things in this business take a long time and there are certain considerations studios must undertake, especially in regards to building on IP. There are also certain considerations Seyfried has in mind too.
'Show me the money!' Seyfried said with a laugh during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She added that producer Judy Craymer is 'working on it,' but she believes Universal only likes to work on musical at a time, as the first 'Wicked' was stalled due to 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.' With the release of 'Wicked: For Good' still ahead, Seyfried doesn't think there's any pressure for the studio to push it forward.
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'It's an either/or situation with musicals,' she said. 'And I have this theory that Universal just knows we're going to do it, so they're not in any rush. And it's just going to cost double.'
Another factor involved in doing another 'Mamma Mia!' is the involvement of Meryl Streep, who appeared in the first film, but was killed off in the second one — a recommendation, Seyfried said, came from Streep herself. If a third film were to be made however, many fans are hoping for her miraculous return.
'Maybe that's the stall,' said Seyfried. 'They still haven't figured out how to bring her back from the dead. From what I was told, that was her choice — so maybe it's on her to write it. I'm sure she has ideas. Meryl's a genius. But I hope they figure it out. The one day that she was on set for the last movie was when it finally felt like we were all together again.'
Thankfully, Seyfried did still have a chance to show off her stunning singing chops in a new upcoming original musical film directed by Mona Fastvold from a script she co-wrote with husband and partner on 'The Brutalist,' Brady Corbet. Set in colonial times, 'Ann Lee' follows the story of the Shakers founder and leader of the same name.
'It's really crazy,' Seyfried told THR. 'I haven't seen it. But Brady just texted me that he saw the first cut. He loves it, and he's not biased about his own work. He's not one to fucking blow smoke. Brady and Mona are dear friends of mine. They've scraped by making incredible indie movies. This is what they're good at. And I got to play a famous cult leader in a musical set in the 1770s!'
No release date has been set for 'Ann Lee,' but it will likely make its debut at one of the global festivals this summer. It co-stars Thomasin McKenzie, Christopher Abbott, Lewis Pullman, and Tim Blake Nelson. Seyfried can next be seen in the crime mystery series 'Long Bright River,' streaming on Peacock this Wednesday, March 13.
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
As Epic Universe draws hype, what's next for Tampa's hometown park?
As Universal Orlando put the finishing touches on its $7 billion new gate, Epic Universe, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay had an announcement too. The Tampa theme park and Adventure Island, its accompanying water park, will spend $40 million to fund a new attraction and restaurant, as well as improvements to other eateries, shade, pathways, restrooms and more. That's an impressive sum of money — until you compare it to what's being spent across Interstate 4, said Robert Niles, founder of Theme Park Insider, an industry publication. Busch Gardens, he said, is going to have to provide what Disney and Universal are not: great deals for locals, who are becoming an increasingly important customer niche. 'It's honestly ridiculous in this industry when you think about it sometimes,' he said. 'Because $40 million is a lot of money. It's just that in the Central Florida theme park industry, $40 million ain't anything anymore. ... If you're in this business and you're saying 'I've got $40 million,' that's like, meh. They found that in the lint trap over at Disney.' Niles said it was easier 10 years ago for Busch Gardens to lure Central Florida visitors. Families might spend a few days at Disney and Universal, then head west for the beach and a pit stop at Busch Gardens, which boasted larger, more thrilling coasters than its Orlando counterparts. But with Epic Universe, Universal aims to become a weeklong destination for tourists, set designers and producers said before its opening last month. Universal is catching up in the coaster department, with new entries Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Stardust Racers. On-site hotel deals and cheaper multi-day tickets are keeping tourists rooted in the park they chose as their primary destination. 'A decade ago, people were saying, 'We're going on vacation to Florida,'' Niles said. 'Now Disney and Universal want a Disney and Universal trip. 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Among regional competitors like Six Flags and Dollywood, Busch Gardens looms large, said Carrissa Baker, an attractions and theme parks professor at University of Central Florida. In 2023, Busch Gardens was one of the top 20 most-visited theme parks in the United States, according to the global attractions attendance report, which estimates annual metrics. The parks do not release their own numbers. Busch Gardens netted about 4 million visitors, ranking 13 out of 20, according to the report, just behind SeaWorld Orlando, Knott's Berry Farm in California and Cedar Point in Ohio. Disney and Universal properties in California and Florida dominated the first nine spots. Busch Gardens fulfills an important role in the industry, Baker said. Most can't afford annual visits to Disney or Universal, where one-day tickets can cost more than $200 per person. A one-day ticket for a weekend day in June would run a Busch Gardens visitor about $75. Locals can buy a 'fun card,' which offers unlimited visits through 2025, for the same price. Sweet deals for locals are common among regional parks, Baker said. The goal with those kinds of discounts is to get more money out of local attendees for parking, merchandise and food, Niles said. The strategy works when locals are willing to pull out their wallets each visit — but it falters if residents bring food from home or park off-site. Higher admission prices at Disney and Universal help them avoid relying on in-park spending. Davis, the new park president, said he's not agonizing over the parks owned by corporate behemoths down the road. 'There's always competition,' Davis said, noting that it's not just from other theme parks but from attractions like the beaches. 'I think the parks that are successful are focusing on themselves.' But regional parks are locked in a vicious battle over Universal's and Disney's scraps, Niles said. 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New attractions tend to inflate attendance numbers for at least six months, Baker said. And enticing the family demographic is key, she said. Busch Gardens' zoo component, plus new additions this summer of capybaras, a giant anteater and squirrel monkeys, already give it a leg up. Families 'spend more money,' Baker said. 'They form relationships with the park. That means generationally, they come back again and again.' Counter-marketing the hype surrounding Epic Universe could also help, Niles said. Busch Gardens could try playing into the sibling rivalry between Tampa and Orlando. What some forget, Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada said, is that Busch Gardens predates Universal and Disney. Twelve years ago, Busch Gardens was Tampa's premier attraction. Now downtown developments like Water Street and the Tampa Riverwalk give visitors more options. But Tampa owes a debt to its theme park, which put a once sleepy city on the map, Corrada said. 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10 hours ago
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The 14 Biggest Easter Eggs In The 'Wicked: For Good' Trailer
Just when the world stopped holding space for Wicked, the frenzy is about to kick back up again. The first trailer for the movie musical sequel, Wicked: For Good, was released last night, giving us our first glimpse of Elphaba and Glinda after that infamous 'AhhAAAHAAAAAHH!' at the end of 'Defying Gravity.' As we see in the footage, the former best friends' relationship has completely changed. Elphaba is public enemy number one, Glinda is walking down the aisle to marry Fiyero, and now a girl named Dorothy is in the picture. Fans of the Broadway musical know how this story ends, and they're probably already familiar with some of the tunes that appear in the trailer, like 'No Good Deed' and, of course, 'For Good.' Let's break down some key details and takeaways from the trailer. Elphaba is in the forest chanting the spell, 'Eleka nahmen nahmen, ah tum ah tum, eleka nahmen' from the beginning of 'No Good Deed.' Madame Morrible makes the infamous twister, which eventually crushes the 'Wicked Witch of the East' and brings Dorothy to Oz. Fiyero is now the captain of the guard. The bricks of the yellow brick road make an appearance. Elphaba finds the brochure to Emerald City that Glinda signed for her in the first film. Glinda rests her head on Elphaba's shoulder—this scene appears in Wicked: Part One as a flashback. Glinda appears to be wearing a wedding dress, walking down the aisle with Fiyero. This is a scene that didn't appear in the original Broadway production. When asked about it, director Jon M. Chu explained to Vanity Fair, 'It's life or death for all of them, so a wedding seemed appropriate.' He added of the love triangle between Glinda, Fiyero, and Elphaba, 'It's harder to forgive certain things in certain scenarios. It makes it more complicated.' Someone is wearing those magical jeweled shoes that belonged to Elphaba and Nessarose's mother. Dorothy and Toto are spotted being led out of Munchkinland. Chu explains how introducing the iconic character affects Glinda and Elphaba's journeys. 'We tread lightly, but try to make more sense of how it impacts our girls and our characters than maybe the show does,' he told Vanity Fair. Dorothy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow face the Wizard of Oz, who orders them to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West. Close-up of the Cowardly Lion! Glinda steps into her bubble—is that the same look she wore at the beginning of Part One? Here are Glinda and Elphaba in the room where the bucket of water. Elphaba tells Glinda, 'I'm off to see the Wizard,' referencing the song 'We're Off to See the Wizard' that Judy Garland sings in The Wizard of Oz. Come release day on November 21, we'll be saying that too. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Erica Gonzales is the Deputy Editor, Culture at where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
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12 hours ago
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Wicked For Good: Your Questions About The Cast And Release Date (Plus The Scarecrow And Tin Man) Answered
Excitement for the musical sequel Wicked For Good is really starting to build following the release of the new film's first trailer. We'll admit that when we first heard that the stage musical Wicked was being split into two, we rolled our eyes a little – but after seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in action last year, we now can't wait for the second instalment. There are still a few months to go until our next trip to Oz, but we know you might have a few questions between now and then. So, here's everything we know about the second movie… Initially billed as Wicked Part 2, it was revealed towards the end of 2024 that the sequel would be given the subtitle For Good, based on the show-stopping eleven o'clock performed as a duet between Elphaba and Glinda towards the end of the musical. The decision was met with a mixed response, but Ariana has claimed that Wicked For Good was actually already being touted as a title for the project when it was being filmed. 'I'm glad it's official now because we grew rather attached to it,' she said last year. 'It's just the perfect title because this project really has changed us for good.' Fans of the original musical will know that the second act begins with Thank Goodness, an ensemble number that helps catch us all up with what's gone down among the cast of characters since we last saw them. Besides that, we can look forward to the dramatic Elphaba number No Good Deed, her duet with Fiyero, As Long As You're Mine, and, as mentioned above, For Good, which has become one of Wicked's signature tunes. There's also another solo for the Wizard, Wonderful which… yeah… let's not even go there. While Wicked's original composer extended the One Short Day sequence in the first film, he's gone one step further in the sequel, and penned two new songs. Director Jon M Chu recently confirmed that one of these will be a new solo for Cynthia, while another will be performed by Ariana. Wicked itself is a retelling of the events of The Wizard Of Oz, retold from the perspective of its witches, Elphaba (known in the 1939 film as simply the Wicked Witch Of The West) and Glinda (who comes to be known as the Good Witch Of The North). Act one begins with Munchkinland celebrating the news of Elphaba's death, before taking us back through her younger years to explore her years at school. The second act – on which Wicked For Good is based – revisits the characters later in life, with Elphaba exiled and a public enemy, thanks to efforts from the Wizard Of Oz and Shiz professor Madame Morrible, and still harbouring feelings for Fiyero, to whom Glinda is now engaged. It also addresses more directly how specific events in the Wizard Of Oz came to be, including Dorothy's arrival in Oz, and her becoming friends with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Evidently, yes. While Dorothy is never seen on stage in the original production of Wicked, we've already caught a glimpse of her in the opening moments of the first film. Dorothy is also seen – once again from behind – in the latest trailer for Wicked For Good, suggesting the character will be more prominently featured in the movie than the stage musical. Chu told Vanity Fair: 'We tread lightly, but try to make more sense of how [Dorothy's arrival] impacts our girls and our characters than maybe the show does.' 'We're delicate. We're delicate. We're delicate,' he then insisted, reassuring anyone concerned about him taking any big swings away from the source material. It was previously reported that Matilda star Alisha Weir portrays Dorothy in the movie, though this is yet to be confirmed. Alright – we're going to be giving away some major Wicked spoilers now, so if you've never seen the stage musical and want to avoid these twists, just keep scrolling down to the next section. Did you hear that? Spoilers are ahead. Scroll to the next section if you want to avoid them. OK, we think they're gone. Let's proceed… So, Elphaba inadvertently creates the Scarecrow when she casts a spell on Fiyero – played by Jonathan Bailey – in an attempt to save his life in No Good Deed. The Tin Man, meanwhile, is created by Nessarose, who is played in the film by Marissa Bode. She attempts to use magic herself for the first time on Boq (Ethan Slater's character) to prevent her from leaving him, only for it to go awry, and turn him into the mechanic woodsman. As you've probably guessed, the Cowardly Lion is that same cub who Elphaba and Fiyero rescue in the first movie. Right here! Enjoy: The film will hit cinemas on Friday 21 November, with the film expected to be re-released in selective cinemas before then, to allow everyone to revisit the events of the first film. 9 Things We Need To Talk About Immediately In The New Wicked For Good Trailer 22 Weird And Wonderful Behind-The-Scenes Secrets You Probably Never Knew About How Wicked Was Made
