Brian Damage
01-10-2007, 11:31 AM
LOS ANGELES - Mamma Mia!--an adaptation of the popular ABBA stage musical--is coming to the big screen with a little help from Tom Hanks.
The story follows a bride-to-be--raised on a Greek island by a formerly rebellious mom who never disclosed the identity of her father--who locates three men who might be her father and invites them to her wedding. The musical features 22 ABBA songs, including "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All."
Since opening in London in 1999, the show has grossed more than $1 billion with productions running around the globe.
Theater veteran Phyllida Lloyd is in negotiations to make her feature directing debut on the film, which Hanks' Playtone production company will develop for Universal Pictures. ABBA members and songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus will serve as executive producers, along with Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.
Lloyd is no stranger to Mamma Mia! as she has directed the stage version for London and Broadway audiences. She is well known in theater and opera circles for helming productions in London, Paris and Toronto of a range of works that include Six Degrees of Separation, The Taming of the Shrew, La Boheme, Carmen and Ring Cycle.
The movie's screenplay was written by Catherine Johnson, who wrote the show's book and created the musical with Judy Craymer, who will produce the film.
The story follows a bride-to-be--raised on a Greek island by a formerly rebellious mom who never disclosed the identity of her father--who locates three men who might be her father and invites them to her wedding. The musical features 22 ABBA songs, including "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All."
Since opening in London in 1999, the show has grossed more than $1 billion with productions running around the globe.
Theater veteran Phyllida Lloyd is in negotiations to make her feature directing debut on the film, which Hanks' Playtone production company will develop for Universal Pictures. ABBA members and songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus will serve as executive producers, along with Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.
Lloyd is no stranger to Mamma Mia! as she has directed the stage version for London and Broadway audiences. She is well known in theater and opera circles for helming productions in London, Paris and Toronto of a range of works that include Six Degrees of Separation, The Taming of the Shrew, La Boheme, Carmen and Ring Cycle.
The movie's screenplay was written by Catherine Johnson, who wrote the show's book and created the musical with Judy Craymer, who will produce the film.