There’s still little to look forward to in the upcoming Meryl Streep-less Mamma Mia! sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. With the film’s total lack of all things Meryl, it picks up after Donna’s apparent death while Sophia (Amanda Seyfried) prepares to have a baby and learns about how her mother ended up having her through a series of flashbacks. But, honestly, it reads more like the Romy and Michele prequel with Katherine Heigl that nobody asked for.
I don’t understand this Mamma Mia sequel. Is it the same? Is it different? Are there enough ABBA songs?
— Pat Kiernan (@patkiernan) January 29, 2018
But if there’s one thing that could revive this musical sequel to the iconic gay status it deserves, it’s the addition of Cher to the cast. It helped bring Burlesque out of bad movie infamy and into queer cult legend, so this film might stand a chance after all.
Granted, she’s playing Meryl’s mom when there’s only a three-year age difference. Yay for realistic female roles in Hollywood!
And a new promo, which aired during this weekend’s Grammy’s has us slightly more excited about the idea of Cher singing some ABBA covers. In the short spot, she descends a staircase in a glittery number, belting “Fernando” in all her Cher greatness. There’s also a brief interaction between the musical legend and Broadway legend, Christine Baranski, which has us contemplating a true cinematic masterpiece in the making.
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Mamma Mia 3 is just Cher solving the Greek debt crisis.
— Tim Federle (@TimFederle) January 29, 2018
So, although Meryl may not be returning, it may be a hit after all. And can we really blame her for opting for a role in Season 2 of Big Little Lies?
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premieres in July. Watch Cher sing “Fernando” in the new promo below.