Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the 1999 musical of the same name using the music of ABBA. The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy García, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Cher, Meryl Streep, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, and Hugh Skinner. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the previous film, and is intersected with flashbacks to Donna's youth in 1979, with some scenes from the two time periods mirroring each other.
Due to the financial success of the first film, Universal Pictures had long been interested in a sequel. The film was officially announced in May 2017, with Parker hired to write and direct. In June 2017, many of the original cast confirmed their involvement, with James being cast in the role of Young Donna that July. Filming took place from August to December 2017 in Croatia (most prominently Vis), Bordeaux, Stockholm, Oxford, Hampton and at Shepperton Studios. A British and American joint venture, the film was co-produced by Playtone, Littlestar Productions, Perfect World Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was premiered at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on July 16, 2018, and was released in the United Kingdom and the United States on July 20, 2018, ten years to the week after its predecessor's release, in both standard and IMAX formats. The film was a box office success, grossing $402 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews, as an improvement over its predecessor with critics praising the performances and musical numbers, although the inconsistencies from the plot of the first film received some criticism. The film is dedicated to the memory of production designer Alan MacDonald.
Plot
In a flashback to the year 1979, a young Donna Sheridan graduates from Oxford's New College with Rosie and Tanya ("When I Kissed the Teacher"), and dreams of a Greek island named Kalokairi. Donna's mother, Ruby, is a famous singer, but she has a strained relationship with her daughter and is consistently away on tour, and does not attend the graduation. Fed up with her mother's constant absence and determined to spend her life making memories, Donna decided to travel to Kalokairi to find her destiny.
In the present, Sophie is in Kalokairi preparing for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna, in honour of her recently deceased mother, who died of cancer. Harry and Bill are unable to attend due to overseas business ventures and Sophie also feels estranged from Sky, who has been offered a permanent job in New York City ("One of Us").
In Paris, Donna meets the sweet but awkward Harry Bright, who instantly falls in love with her ("Waterloo"). They spend the night together, but Donna leaves soon afterwards for Greece. She misses her boat to Kalokairi but is offered a ride by Bill Anderson in his yacht, and the two dance and flirt ("Why Did It Have to Be Me?"). On the way, they help a stranded fisherman, Alexio, back to shore in time to save the love of his life from having to marry another. Unbeknownst to Donna, Harry has followed her to Greece; however, he arrives too late and sadly watches the boat sailing off in the distance.
In the present, Rosie and Tanya arrive to support Sophie, and she shows them the new hotel ("I Have a Dream"). This mirrors the past, in which Donna explores an abandoned farmhouse that would eventually become the hotel. A heavy storm then breaks out and Donna discovers a trapped horse and soothes it with the assistance of Sam Carmichael. In the present, a heavy storm destroys the decorations and prevents transportation to Kalokairi, much to Sophie's dismay.
Sam, who has been living in a cabin on the island, reassures Sophie that she can never disappoint her mother, telling her the story of how he once disappointed Donna. Years earlier, before Sophie was born, Donna and Sam were enjoying a whirlwind romance ("The Name of the Game"), but it ended badly when Donna discovered Sam was engaged to another woman, Lorraine. Heartbroken, Donna breaks up with him and tearfully watches him leave the island ("Knowing Me, Knowing You"), while the present Sam reassures Sophie of her mother's value for her.