The musical phenomenon Mamma Mia! is headed for the big screen thanks to two-time Oscar winning actor and producer Tom Hanks. The film should be in the cinemas later this year.
The musical, which was inspired by the songs of the ABBA, was written by British playwright Catherine Johnson who is also writing the script. It has been reported that the script will follow the musical very closely. The film will be directed by Tom Hanks himself and produced by Rita Wilson, and the two male ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It will be distributed by Universal.
Over thirty million people have so far enjoyed the play in more productions than any other musical globally. It has been performed in 130 cities all over the world, and in nine languages: English, German, Japanese, Dutch, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Flemish, and Russian. So far, it is estimatedthe musical has grossed the astounding amount of 1.2 billion euros.
The story unfolds on a Greek island paradise and it tells the story of a girl trying to find the identity of her real father on the eve of her wedding. It includes 25 ABBA mega hits, closing with the Eurovision all time favorite winner Waterloo.
