Theater director Phyllida Lloyd is in negotiations to make her feature directorial debut on “Mamma Mia!” — Universal Pictures and Playtone’s adaptation of the popular ABBA musical created by Judy Craymer and Catherine Johnson.
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.
The movie’s screenplay was written by Johnson, who wrote the show’s book.
Producing are Playtone’s Gary Goetzman and Craymer, who produced the show via her Littlestar banner. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are executive producing along with ABBA members and songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.
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.” For “Gloriana: A Film,” she received an International Emmy, a FIPA d’Or and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award.
