Mamma Mia! (2008) - News NEWS 24 December 2008 12:00 PM, PST | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Universal Studios Home Entertainment scored big on the national home video charts the week ending Dec. 21, with a pair of releases topping both the sales and the rental charts their first week in stores. "Mamma Mia!" bowed at No. 1 on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart and earns the distinction of displacing Warner's " The Dark Knight " as the top-selling DVD in the country. "Dark Knight" remains the top-selling video release of the year, with an estimated worldwide total of 13.5 million units sold its first week out, 1.7 million of them on the nascent Blu-ray Disc format. For the week, however, " Mamma Mia! " outsold the Batman sequel, which did about 85% as much business its sophomore week as the musical comedy built around Abba's hits, which earned $143.7 million in theaters.

Meanwhile, Home Media Magazine's rental chart for the week was topped by another new Universal Studios release, the actioner " The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor , » - By Thomas K. Arnold Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull has topped a new poll of this year's most gaffe-prone movies - with a staggering 64 continuity blunders. Harrison Ford 's whip-cracking return to his hit adventurer franchise came first in a new survey by film website moviemistakes.com. Fans spotted a huge number of mistakes in the Steven Spielberg movie - including the use of a Harley Davidson motorbike from 2000, despite the fact the film is set in 1957. Other blunder-filled films include box office smash Mamma Mia ! and Heath Ledger 's last full acting role as The Joker in Batman movie The Dark Knight - with 44 and 43 mistakes respectively.

Jon Sandys, Moviemistakes editor, says, "With the budget of many movies, you'd think they could avoid mistakes like this, or at least use computers to cover them up, but they keep cropping up, and eagle-eyed movie fans keep spotting them." The full list of 2008's continuity-challenged films is as follows: 16 December 2008 8:14 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news » Movie musical Mamma Mia ! has become the highest grossing film of all time in the U.K., smashing the record set by Titanic . The Abba-themed movie, starring Meryl Streep , has taken more than $105 million (GBP69 million) at the box office after a 23-week run in British cinemas. The news comes just days after the film picked up two Golden Globe nominations, including Streep's nod for Best Actress. David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International, admits it is "phenomenal" to break the record set by 1997 blockbuster Titanic .

He says, "This film has exceeded our expectations and delighted audiences around the world since it opened in July." » 16 December 2008 12:00 AM, PST | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » London -- Universal Pictures International can finally boast that Phyllida Lloyd's " Mamma Mia !" is the highest grossing movie ever released in the U.K., sailing past the previous record holder, " Titanic ." Lloyd's romantic musical comedy finally sank the ten year grip " Titanic " has had on the record with her film singing its way to 69.1 pounds million ($105.3 million) while the James Cameron iceberg drama sailed away with 69 million pounds in 1998. " Mamma Mia !" broke the long standing record just days after the film picked up two Golden Globe nominations for best picture (musical or comedy) and best actress (musical or comedy) for star Meryl Streep .

Upi president David Kosse described the success of "Mia" as "truly phenomenal." Said Kosse: "This box-office record is a tribute to producer Judy Craymer, director Phyllida Lloyd and our brilliant cast who worked so hard on this film." » - By Stuart Kemp 2 December 2008 11:23 PM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news » Veteran actress Meryl Streep is keen to bring movie musical Mamma Mia ! back to the big screen for a second time - but only if movie bosses can "get those fabulous boys back". Streep starred in the Abba-inspired summer hit alongside Pierce Brosnan , Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard - who all threw themselves into the singing and dancing roles. And Streep would love to reunite the cast for a follow-up. She says, "Grand Mamma Mia! I like it! I'm up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys back! It's so gratifying it has been this phenomenon around the work. It says there's an audience for something that appeals to a lot of women, something that might make them some money too." Movie musical Mamma Mia !

has become a major box office smash internationally, grossing more than $559 million (GBP375 million) worldwide. » 2 December 2008 4:07 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news » Julie Walters has been pushed to success in the movie business - because she is so terrified of failure. The British actress, 58, has enjoyed a long and successful film career, picking up two Oscar nominations and a clutch of other awards, including a Golden Globe for her role in 1983's Educating Rita . And Walters is continuing to ride high in the entertainment industry with a prominent role in the Harry Potter franchise and a recent turn in box office smash Mamma Mia ! But the star is convinced that her continued success is down to her constant worrying. She says, "I think people are driven by various things and my life is driven by fear - it always has been. I was brought up in an anxious household and I think acting is based on fear." But Walters has found a way to disperse her negatives thoughts - a self-help book by Susan Jeffers titled Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway. She adds, "Reading this book was a revelation.

I'm not scared any more." » 25 November 2008 2:00 AM, PST | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » London -- Phyllida Lloyd 's " Mamma Mia! -- The Movie" has danced its way into the record books in the U.K. becoming the fastest selling DVD of all time after a day's trading. Universal Pictures International Entertainment said the title posted unit sales of just short of 1.7 million, sinking its nearest rival " Titanic " which sold 1.1 million units on its first day on sale back in 1998 here. The DVD success follows hot on the heels of what has become a boxoffice sensation for the musical movie, which features the hits of Swedish powerpop quartet Abba. The title sung its way to just shy of 67 million pounds ($103 million) at the U.K. boxoffice, making it the highest grossing British movie of all time on these shores. It qualifies as British under the U.K. government’s cultural test. Upie president Eddie Cunningham said the movie's DVD success here is being mirrored around the world.

» - By Stuart Kemp 5 November 2008 8:13 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news » Mamma Mia! composer Benny Andersson has shot down rumours he's working on a sequel to the movie adaptation of the hit stage show. The summer release, which is based on the songs of Swedish pop stars Abba , has become a major box office smash internationally, grossing more than $559 million (GBP353.7 million) worldwide. But Abba 's Andersson insists Universal Pictures bosses have yet to approach him about a follow-up. He says, "There is no talk of a sequel. (But they) would like a sequel because they're just flabbergasted at the success - more than anyone, I think." However, that does not mean Andersson and songwriting pal Bjorn Ulvaeus are not interested in the project if screenwriter Catherine Johnson pens a new plotline: "If she comes up with something, if she's keen on it, then maybe she'll call us." 29 October 2008 11:57 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news » Movie musical Mamma Mia!

has become the biggest British movie ever after taking $104.52 million (GBP67 million) at the U.K. box office. The film adaptation of the hit stage musical stars Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan , and continues to draw audiences four months after its release in July. The Abba movie surpasses previous British record-holder Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , which took $102.9 million (GBP66 million) upon its 2001 release. Mamma Mia! has also gone on to become Universal Pictures' most profitable project ever. Universal President David Kosse says, "This is fantastic. The quality of the filmmaking and the resonance of this feelgood story have made the movie, like the stage play, a global phenomenon." » 29 October 2008 10:00 AM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » London -- Phyllida Lloyd's " Mamma Mia! " has become the biggest British movie of all time at the U.K. boxoffice, Universal Pictures International said Wednesday. The movie, which qualifies as British through the U.K.

Film Council's stringent rules, has taken just a handful of pounds short of 67 million pounds ($109.9 million) at the boxoffice here. Only " Titanic ," which sailed to 69 million pounds, has taken in more. According to figures from Nielsen Edi, " Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone " was the previous British record holder with 66 million pounds. "Since its release in July we've seen people around the world coming back to see the film again and again," Upi president David Kosse said. Pundits here believe it's only a matter of time before "Mamma Mia!" sinks "Titanic's" boxoffice crown in the U.K. » - By Stuart Kemp 27 October 2008 4:00 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Christmas arrived early for Disney as teenagers the world over swarmed to " High School Musical 3: Senior Year ," celebrating the first big-screen sequel of the acclaimed Disney Channel originals with a weekend take of $41 million from 3,163 screens in 19 countries.

It was the biggest October opening ever in the international market and the biggest-ever overseas bow for a musical (beating " Mamma Mia! 's" $26 million debut), according to Disney International. It also claimed an average market share of more than 40% in each of its markets. In the U.K., where the telefilms and best-selling album established a massive fan base for the franchise, "HSM3" hit the top with $13.7 million from 494 screens. Germany pulled in $5.9 million from 547; Spain, $5.1 million from 547; France, $3.8 million; Brazil, $1.7 million from 212; Denmark, $1.2 from 93; and Norway, $1.1 million from 90. Whether the teen appeal of "HSM3" can help it reach the heights obtained by the female-driven "Mamma Mia!" remains questionable.

At the moment, » - By Hy Hollinger 26 October 2008 6:30 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news » High School Musical 3: Senior Year has danced its way to the top of the U.S. box office chart, raking in $42 million (GBP26.9 million) in its opening weekend. The Disney movie, which stars teen actors Zac Efron , Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale , set a new record for a musical after trumping the $27.8 million (GBP17.8 million) Mamma Mia! opened with in July. High School Musical 3 comfortably beat horror film Saw V , which took $30.5 million (GBP19.55) to debut at two. Last week's number one, Max Payne , the big screen adaptation of the violent video game, slips to number three in its second week on release with $7.6 million (GBP4.87 million), while Beverly Hills Chihuahua is at four with $6.9 million (GBP4.4 million).

Meanwhile, Colin Farrell and Edward Norton 's cop drama Pride and Glory just scraped its way into the top five with a poor opening of $6.3 million (GBP4 million). » 8 October 2008 5:09 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news » British funnyman Simon Pegg 's new film How To Lose Friends And Alienate People has stormed to the top of the U.K. box office in its opening weekend. The movie, which also stars Megan Fox , took $2.13 million (GBP1.15 million) to cement its place at the top. Action thriller Taken debuted at number two, bringing in $2.02 million (GBP1.09 million). Last week's number one, Tropic Thunder , starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black, was pushed down into third position with $1.83 million (GBP987,191). Rounding out the top five was Abba musical movie Mamma Mia!

with $1.43 million (GBP771,647) at four and in fifth place with $828,909 (GBP448,059) was Jason Statham 's remake of Death Race , which has dropped one place. » 6 October 2008 1:00 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Forget the fanboys and their comic-book movies, it's time to hail a long-neglected fan base -- the fan moms and mature women who kept " Mamma Mia! " on top in the international market for the fifth week in a row. One woman in Germany is reported to have seen the feelgood movie more than 70 times. Thanks to a top-of-the-market bow in Italy ($2.6 million from 276 screens) and strong holdovers, the mother-daughter relationship story set to the music of Abba pulled in $13.6 million over the weekend from 4,173 dates in 44 territories, lifting its foreign gross to $377 million.

The Meryl Streep starrer, off just 14% from last weekend, held the No. 4 slot at the U.K. boxoffice in its 13th weekend, reaching a market gross of $123.2 million. The film, with eight more offshore openings to come, is 2008's highest-grossing film in 11 countries and among the top 5 of all time in these markets, according to Universal. As "Mamma Mia! » 5 October 2008 1:00 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Universal's " Mamma Mia! " again reigned over an increasingly scattered international circuit with an estimated $14.1 million from 4,406 screens in 47 markets, hiking its cumulative overseas take to $377.2 million. The weekend saw a rush of single-market or limited runs launched on behalf of nearly 10 fresh titles. The most popular new Hollywood studio contribution was Disney's " Beverly Hills Chihuahua ," which premiered No. 1 at the domestic boxoffice.

The talking-dog comedy opened day-and-date in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa and Colombia to an estimated $4.8 million from 810 screens. That was enough to qualify for the No. 5 spot internationally. The weekend's best solo-market bow was Paramount's U.K. release of FilmFour's "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People." The comedy, based on Toby Young 's account of his struggles as a young British writer working in New York for Vanity Fair magazine, opened No. 1 in the market with $2.1 million from 449 screens. Taking the top spot internationally for a fifth-straight frame, » - By Frank Segers 29 September 2008 1:00 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Get ready for a batch of sequels and/or clones. Seems there's an untapped market of older women out there, judging from the amazing success of Universal's " Mamma Mia! ," which dominated the overseas market for a fourth consecutive weekend with a $15.1 million take from 4,155 screens in 44 countries.

Russia, Ukraine and Malaysia joined the cheering section with sturdy openings that helped raise the international gross to $356.6 million, which combined with domestic's $142.2 million to hit $498.8 million, with $500 million in sight by today. "Mamma Mia!" is set to open in nine more countries, including Italy on Oct. 3 and Japan on Jan. 30. Expected competition from Paramount/DreamWorks' " Eagle Eye " failed to materialize as the terrorist/political assassination thriller pulled in $4.1 million from 970 screens in nine mostly smaller markets. The Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monaghan starrer expands to 18 more markets this coming weekend. In continuing glutted markets, new entries are not making much headway and » - By Hy Hollinger 29 September 2008 11:00 AM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » London -- Summertime and the living is easy, at least according to figures released Monday that show audience numbers on the rise at the U.K. boxoffice compared with the year-ago period.

While cinema visits during June-August rose to 53.6 million, up from 50.8 million in the same time in 2007, so did the cost to distributors trying to entice audiences into the auditoriums. The Film Distributors' Assn., which released the statistics, attributed the uptick in visits to the range of movies offered and the bad British weather as well as the runaway success of " Mamma Mia! " which is already fourth in the U.K.'s all-time top 10 boxoffice successes. In June-August, distributors shelled out an estimated 80.9 million pounds ($146 million) on launching and sustaining their releases in the market place. That compares with 74.1 pounds million spent during the same three months last year.

This is made up of 47.2 million pounds ($85 million) on media advertising, » - By Stuart Kemp 28 September 2008 11:00 AM, PDT | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Paris -- DreamWorks' " Eagle Eye " added a soupcon of spark to the foreign circuit during the weekend, but Universal's " Mamma Mia! " dominated overseas for a fourth consecutive frame, grossing an estimated $15.3 million from 4,562 screens in 48 territories. "Eye," an action-thriller directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monaghan as a couple forced to engage in political assassination, opened through Paramount on 1,043 screens in 13 markets and earned $4.2 million, qualifying for the weekend's No. 5 spot. Best of the bows was Australia, where the film snared $1.4 million from 206 situations. The spectacular foreign run for "Mamma Mia!" continues apace as the smash musical adaptation, starring Meryl Streep , improved 1% from last weekend's international tally.

The film's overseas gross stands at $356.4 million, 2 1/2 times its domestic take. Universal predicts the global cume for "Mamma Mia!" will reach a cool $500 million by the middle of this week. "Mamma Mia!" opened No. 1 during the weekend in Russia ($4.3 million from 436 sites, » - By Frank Segers Mamma Mia is UK's highest grossing film | Film | The Guardian Mamma Mia is UK's highest grossing film Phyllida Lloyd's film adaptation of the West End musical surpasses decade-long record set by James Cameron's Titanic High-flying ... Mamma Mia! Wednesday 17 December 2008 07.41 EST First published on Wednesday 17 December 2008 07.41 EST Close This article is 8 years old The critics might have hoped it would meet its Waterloo after just a few weeks, but four months after it opened the Abba-themed musical Mamma Mia! has become the highest grossing movie ever to be released in the UK, usurping Titanic's decade-long hold on the record.

Phyllida Lloyd's film, which stars Meryl Streep , Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, has grossed £69,068,073 to date, just surpassing the £69,025,646 made by James Cameron's watery romance. Lloyd also directed the original West End production of Mamma Mia! The film, about a young woman who tries to uncover the identity of her biological father by inviting the three likely men to her wedding on a Greek island, received a lukewarm response from reviewers on its initial release. The Guardian's own Peter Bradshaw was particularly scathing: "Mamma Mia! ties itself in knots trying to shoehorn in every single famous number," he wrote. "And each time, the beginning of an Abba song triggered in me a Pavlovian stab of pleasure, cancelled after a millionth of a second by a backwash of rage that this soulless panto has done nothing to earn or even understand the good feeling." Not that this had any effect on the film's fans – Mamma Mia!

has profited from repeat viewings by enthusiasts who have, on occasion, filled auditoriums with the sort of riotous audience participation common to the theatrical production. A re-release of the film with "sing-a-long" karaoke-style subtitles has proved especially popular. David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International, said breaking Titanic's record was "truly phenomenal". He said: "This film has exceeded our expectations and delighted audiences around the world since it opened in July." Mamma Mia! has also proved a success around the world, racking up No 1 slots in 15 different countries. Last week it was nominated for two Golden Globes: best film in the musical or comedy category and best actress (musical or comedy) for Streep.

From all-female Shakespeare trilogys to hit musicals and films, she has a gift for works that focus on – and resonate with – women Published: 25 Nov 2016 A new staging of The Tempest crowns Phyllida Lloyd’s captivating trio set in a women’s prison Published: 23 Nov 2016 An all-female version of Shakespeare’s problem play starts with a Trump-style announcer at a beauty pageant and ends with a rousing version of Bad Reputation Published: 13 Jun 2016 Season comprising Julius Caesar, Henry IV and The Tempest to be staged at 420-seat venue next to King’s Cross station Published: 25 May 2016 British film is booming but not for female directors - Telegraph Film news British film is booming but not for female directors British Film continues to break records at the global box office, but just one of the UK's highest grossing films since 2001 was directed by a woman. Phyllida Lloyd, here on the set of Mamma Mia!, is the only female director to direct a top UK film.

Photo: Peter Mountain By Alice Vincent , Entertainment writer, online 7:00AM BST 24 Jul 2013 Follow Statistics released from the British Film Institute show that UK film is continuing to entertain around the world, taking $5.3 billion (£3.5 billion) at the global box office. However, female filmmakers are seeing a mere fraction of this. Of the British films that were included in the top 200 grossing films worldwide between 2001 and 2012, only one was directed by a woman: the 2008 musical Mamma Mia, which was directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Female-directed films took 4.5% of the $1.3 billion (£8.6 billion) earned by the top British films. &amp;lt;noframes&amp;gt;Interactive chart: Directors of top UK films 2001-12 ($ millions)&amp;lt;/noframes&amp;gt; The BFI also charted the British stars who had made more than four appearances in the Top 200 films, either as lead or supporting roles.

Of these 12, eight were men and three were women: Helena Bonham Carter, Julie Walters and Emma Watson. &amp;lt;noframes&amp;gt;Interactive chart: Actors in top UK films 2001-12 ($ millions)&amp;lt;/noframes&amp;gt; Related Articles TV roles better for women than in film, actress Jessica Lange says 30 Jul 2013 Together, Bonham Carter, Walters and Watson made 24 appearances in the top 200 films, compared with the 55 made by the male stars. Of the total box office takings from the top films, those featuring Bonham Carter, Walters and Watson had a 30 per cent share. Films inspired or based on novels or original screenplays by British writers took $17.7 billion (£11.5 billion) at the global box office since 2001. Earnings from films based on titles written by men are only marginally higher than those written by women: $9.4 billion to $8.3 billion, respectively.

However, there were only two female UK authors on that list: JK Rowling and Catherine Johnson, who wrote the musical book and screenplay for Mamma Mia! In contrast, books and screenplays by seven male authors had inspired successful films: Ian Fleming, HG Wells, CS Lewis, Christopher Nolan, JRR Tolkein and Lewis Carroll. Beryl Richards , a director and chair of the Directors UK Women's Working Group, said the lack of women involved in the British film industry was "appalling, but just not generally noticed". She explained that there was a correlation between the unrepresentation of women in the top 200 films and the fact they are in the action, thriller and fantasy genres. "There's significant gender stereotyping and misconceptions about who's allowed to direct in which genre. Women just don't get access to those areas of film." At the Empire Awards in March Dame Helen Mirren criticised director Sam Mendes, who directed the UK's highest grossing film of all time, Skyfall, for not acknowledging women in the film industry. Phyllida Lloyd: Prime mover | The Independent Profiles Phyllida Lloyd: Prime mover With Mamma Mia!, she directed the most successful British film of all time.

Can she bring the same magic touch to her portrait of Margaret Thatcher? Saturday 31 December 2011 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Phyllida Lloyd: 'Movie making is an extreme sport on many levels. It requires stamina such as I had never imagined' Getty Images It's a key moment in Phyllida Lloyd's new film. "Gentlemen!" cries an imperious Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) to her cabinet colleagues at a state banquet. "Shall we join the ladies?" In it, we hear an echo of the popular view that, in her years of power, Thatcher was as tough as any man. But in The Iron Lady, much is also made, cinematically speaking, of Mrs T's feminine isolation amid a power cabal of men. There's an overhead shot of her sky-blue jacket amid a sea of charcoal suits in the corridors of Westminster. There's a floor-level shot of her ladylike cream court shoes, walking beside a herd of black Church's brogues.

In the cabinet room, as she hisses "Treachery!" at the quaking ministers around the Power Table, her red/magenta coat isolates her like a bloodstain on a pavement. It's tempting to draw parallels between the film's director and her subject – the tough, indomitable woman who storms the barricades of a men's club (film direction, Parliament) and triumphs by force of individual will. Tempting but hardly the real story. Phyllida Lloyd is undoubtedly a major figure in British theatre and filmland, a freelance who has directed rapturously received plays in all Britain's major theatres and who confidently helmed the most successful British-made film of all time. But she seems to have succeeded by her unique powers of empathy with collaborators, especially with women. The Iron Lady is unusual in having four women in key positions of power: scriptwriter (Abi Morgan), director (Lloyd), editor (Justine Wright) and lead role (Streep). Cameron McCracken, managing director of Pathé, the film's distributor, is airily referred to by Streep as "an honorary girl".

Lloyd and her formidable team had surprisingly little trouble persuading Thatcher's former colleagues to talk about her. "Everybody we approached was happy to talk to us, given that they hadn't read the script, had no idea of what we were doing or of our credentials," she told The Spectator, adding that Norman Tebbit has actually complained because he hadn't been asked to give his two penn'orth. Had the MPs seen the film, they might have been dismayed by the sight of a senile Thatcher ("I wouldn't want to see my own mother portrayed in that way," was Michael Portillo's reaction) but couldn't have faulted its political neutrality. Lloyd isn't concerned with the fate of the miners' unions or of the Belgrano, but with the more Shakespearean theme of public power and the agony of feeling it fade. Thirteen years ago, Lloyd was part of a similar (and similarly unusual) all-women collaboration, when the British producer Judy Craymer commissioned the British playwright Catherine Johnson to write the script for a musical based on the songs of Abba, and asked Lloyd to direct it on the London stage.

It opened in 1999 and is still in the West End, having transferred to the Prince of Wales in 2004. Lloyd went to Canada to direct its transfer, and later opened it to rapture and acclaim in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Broadway, New York, in 2001. It's ironic that her gender, in a man's world, never bothered Phyllida Lloyd until three years ago, when she came to direct Mamma Mia! the movie. "I didn't realise I was a woman director," she told The Hollywood Reporter, "until I walked on to the set at Pinewood studio; everybody was calling each other 'Governor' or 'Sir' – and then looking at me [and saying] 'Well ... good morning'." Despite this unpromising start among Pinewood's unreconstructed sexists, the film grossed £390m, the most successful British-made film of all time, the highest-grossing musical of all time – and when the DVD came out in November 2008, the biggest-selling DVD in the UK ever. (Despite receiving awful reviews. The Guardian's critic said it made him feel sick.

The Daily Telegraph called it "a total shambles", while an online reviewer called the film "so base, so shallow and so hinged on meaningless spectacle, it's amazing it wasn't made for men".) For those scanning Lloyd's CV, Mamma Mia! seems an excrescence, an anomaly, a lowbrow barnacle on a spectacularly highbrow career as a theatre and opera director. What on earth, one might ask, persuaded a woman of serious artistic intent to turn her back on Shakespeare, Aeschylus and Brecht and go all Hollywood? How could a director who'd overseen Wagner's Ring (for God's sake) bear to direct the karaoke warblings of Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth? Others might claim it was just one more golden arrow in Lloyd's amazing quiver. Over 25 years, she has tried her hand directing many forms of drama and, as Dr Johnson said of Oliver Goldsmith, has touched nothing that she hasn't adorned.

Born and raised in the village of Nempnett Thrubwell (immortalised by the Wurzels) near Bristol, she initially aspired to be an actress but, after taking her degree in drama and English at Birmingham University, felt happier instructing others in how to act, walk, emote and declaim. Awarded an Arts Council grant to be a trainee director in Ipswich's Wolsey Theatre while still at the BBC, she was appointed associate director at the Everyman in Cheltenham in 1986 when she was 29. A year later, having worked at the Bristol Old Vic, she mounted her first Shakespeare play, The Comedy of Errors. Her rapid rise took her to Manchester's Royal Exchange (for The Winter's Tale, The School for Scandal and Medea), then to the RSC, where she boldly launched two barely known plays by unfamiliar playwrights, Thomas Shadwell's The Virtuoso and Alexander Ostrovsky's Artists and Admirers. The critics sat up and took notice. Lloyd's 1992 production of Six Degrees of Separation at the Royal Court transferred to Shaftesbury Avenue.

Her Pericles at the National and Threepenny Opera at the Donmar completed a full hand of productions in the country's major theatres. In the early 1990s, she was encouraged to direct opera and made an effortless transition to Opera North with a piece of wilful obscurity – L'Etoile by the composer and pianist Emmanuel Chabrier. A succession of opera successes culminated in a complete Ring cycle at the ENO, while she kept a hand in drama: a notable success was Schiller's Mary Stuart, about the relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I starring Janet McTeer, which started at the Donmar in July 2005 and ended up on Broadway in 2009, with seven Tony Award nominations. Among other themes, Lloyd fascinatingly explored the trauma of women in high office, isolated from the world around them. Sound familiar? Part of the secret of Phyllida Lloyd's success has been her collaborations with artists she uses again and again.

"It's Phyllida's extended family," said her long-time theatre designer Anthony Ward in 1997, "a jigsaw puzzle of people, all connecting at certain times in different ways." Along with Ward, they include Gary Yershon, the composer, Rick Fisher, the lighting designer, and Jonathan Lunn, the choreographer. Yershon and Lloyd go back to the Everyman in Cheltenham in 1986 – when she moved to the Bristol Old Vic in 1989, they came with her. They and Ward formed a design-music-direction troika that produced a string of hits – The Comedy of Errors, A Streetcar Named Desire, Oliver Twist, Dona Rosita – at the Almeida. "Perhaps we celebrate the same kind of theatre or we're aspiring to a common, indefinable something," Lloyd said in the late 1990s. "It's very rare for one of us to recognise something and the others to go, 'I don't get it'. If a moment has a particular meaning, all our eyes light up." Now 54, she is garlanded with honours, from her own profession and beyond.

In 2006, she became the Cameron Mackintosh visiting professor of contemporary theatre, and was awarded an honorary degree by Bristol University. In the 2010 New Year Honours List, she was appointed a CBE. She's currently No 22 in The Independent on Sunday's Pink List of 101 "most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain today". If, as seems a racing certainty, the performance she extracted from Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady wins an Academy Award, she will be lionised in Hollywood. And she will inspire a new generation of women directors. Asked if she had any advice for them, she said: "You will get there if you are determined, and you don't have to be a gorgon to do so... Have confidence that directing is a very suitable job for a woman – with our gift for collaboration, listening and reading the nuance of things." A life in brief Born: Phyllida Christian Lloyd, 17 June 1957, Bristol. Family: Parents are Pat and Margaret; her partner is Sarah Cooke.

Career: After Birmingham University Lloyd worked at the BBC before becoming associate director at the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Bristol's Old Vic. She went on to direct several productions at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and in 1991 made her directorial debut at the RSC. She is also renowned for her direction of operas. In 2000 she directed the made-for-TV film adaptation of the opera Gloriana. In 2008 she directed the film version of the hit Abba musical Mamma Mia!. Her latest film, The Iron Lady, is released week. She says: "Movie making is an extreme sport on many levels. It requires stamina such as I had never imagined." They say: "Smart, truthful, organised, no bullshit." Meryl Streep, actress More about: Highest Grossing Musicals Highest Grossing Musicals 24 June 2014 Walking On Sunshine The musical is one of the most popular and success film genres at the big screen. Over the years, we have been treated to some feel good films, and that is set to continue with Walking On Sunshine. We take a look at some of the films that have performed well at the box office.

- Mamma Mia! - $609 million Mamma Mia hit the big screen back in 2008, and is based on the hit West End & Broadway show of the same name, and set to a backdrop of some of Abba's biggest songs. The movie marked the feature film directorial debut for Phyllida Lloyd, in what would be her first collaboration with Meryl Streep. Streep led an all-star cast, as Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, and Julie Walters were all on board. Mamma Mia was a big screen phenomenon in 2008; as it went on to gross in excess of $609 million at the global box office: making it the most successful musical of all time. Mamma Mia went on to be the sixth highest grossing film at the UK box office, behind Skyfall, Avatar, Titanic, Toy Story 3, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. - Les Miserables - $441 million Les Miserables is one of the more recent musicals, as the hit show was once again brought to the big screen.

The movie marked the return of Tom Hooper to the director's chair, in what was his first film since the success of The King's Speech. He brought together a terrific cast as Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Eddie Redmayne were just some of the names on board. Les Miserables was a box office success as it grossed in excess of $441 million at the global box office. It scooped three major Golden Globes, and was nominated for eight Oscars: Anne Hathaway would scoop Best Supporting Actress. It would be the first musical to be nominated for Best Picture since Chicago in 2003. - Grease - $394 million It was back in 1978 when Grease hit the big screen, and yet it remains one of the most loved films in this genre. The movie was based on the Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs' musical of the same name, and saw John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the central roles of Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson. This was one of Travolta's early roles, which, along with Carrie and Saturday Night Fever, established him as a major star and leading man.

This was also just the third feature film role of Newton-John. Grease was a critical hit and an instant box office smash, taking over $394 million. It was the most successful musical of all time, at the time. - Enchanted - $340 million Enchanted was released back in 2007, and was a mix of live action and animation. Directed by Kevin Lima, the movie follows Giselle, a Disney princess who finds herself in New York. With the help of cynical NY attorney, she must find her true love and her way back home. Amy Adams takes on the central role in the film, which allowed her to show off her rather good singing skills. She is joined on the cast list by Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, and Timothy Spall. Enchanted was one of the most fun-filled movies of 2007, and went on to gross over $340 million at the global box office. - Chicago - $306 million It has been eleven years since Renee Zellweger teamed up with Catherine Zeta Jones for Chicago, but it is a musical that remains as possible as ever.

Directed by Rob Marshall, the movie was based the hit stage show, which explored the themes of celebrity and corruption in Chicago. Zellweger took on the role of Roxie Hart and Zeta Jones played Velma Kelly, alongside Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and Dominic West. We well as being a box office success; the movie was nominated for twelve Oscars, winning six: including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress. - Hairspray - $202 million Hairspray hit the big screen for the first time back in 1988, but was brought back by Adam Shankman in 2007. The movie was based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, and was the first time that Shankman had tackled the musical genre. Hairspray followed slightly overweight teenager Tracy Turnblad, who wants nothing more than to dance on the local TV show. Hairspray was the breakthrough performance from Nikki Blonsky - who played Tracy - while John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron were just some of the other names on board.

Hairspray was one of my favourite films of 2007, and was also one of the most fun. Walking On Sunshine is released 27th June. by Helen Earnshaw for find me on and follow me on Mamma Mia! (film) - Wikipedia, Photos and Videos Mamma Mia! (film) NEXT GO TO RESULTS [51 .. 100] WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE $609.8 million [1] Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a 2008 British-American-Swedish musical romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End /2001 Broadway musical of the same name , based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA , with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson . The film was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and distributed by Universal Pictures in partnership with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson 's Playtone and Littlestar, and the title originates from ABBA's 1975 chart-topper " Mamma Mia ". Meryl Streep heads the cast, playing the role of single mother Donna Sheridan.

Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Colin Firth (Harry Bright), and Stellan Skarsgård (Bill Anderson) play the three possible fathers to Donna's daughter, Sophie ( Amanda Seyfried ). Mamma Mia! received mixed reviews from critics and earned $609.8 million [1] on a $52 million budget. Contents Plot[ edit ] This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed . Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (February 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) On a Greek island called Kalokairi (summer), bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan posts three wedding invitations (" I Have a Dream ") to different men. Sophie's bridesmaids, Ali and Lisa, arrive. Sophie reveals that she found her mother's diary and has three possible fathers: Irish-American architect Sam Carmichael, Swedish adventurer and writer Bill Anderson, and British banker Harry Bright. As Sophie wants her father to give her away, she invited them without telling her mother, believing that after she spends time with them she will know which is her father (" Honey, Honey ").

Villa owner Donna Sheridan, Sophie's mom, is ecstatic to reunite with her former Dynamos bandmates, wisecracking author Rosie Mulligan and wealthy multiple divorcée Tanya Chesham-Leigh, and reveals her bafflement at her daughter's desire to get married. Donna shows off the villa to Rosie and Tanya (" Money, Money, Money "). The three men arrive and Sophie smuggles them to their room and explains that she sent the invitations. She begs them to hide so Donna will have a surprise at the wedding: seeing the old friends of whom she "so often" favourably speaks. They overhear Donna working (humming " Fernando ") and swear not to reveal her secret. Donna spies them and is dumbfounded to find herself facing former lovers (" Mamma Mia "), and demands that they leave. She confides in Tanya and Rosie (" Chiquitita ") that she is uncertain which of the men is Sophie's father. Tanya and Rosie rally her spirits by getting her to dance with the female staff and islanders (" Dancing Queen "). Sophie finds the men aboard Bill's yacht, and they sail around Kalokairi (" Our Last Summer ") and tell stories of Donna as a carefree girl.

Sophie plans to tell her fiancé Sky about her ploy, but loses her nerve. Sky and Sophie sing to each other (" Lay All Your Love on Me "), but Sky is nabbed for his bachelor party. At Sophie's bachelorette party , Donna, Tanya, and Rosie perform as Donna and The Dynamos (" Super Trouper "). The festivities are interrupted by the arrival of Sam, Bill, and Harry. Sophie decides to talk with each of her prospective dads alone. While her girlfriends dance with the men (" Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) "), Sophie learns from Bill that Donna received the money to invest in her villa from his great-aunt Sofia. Sophie guesses she must be Sofia's namesake and Bill is her father. She asks him to give her away and keep their secret from Donna until the wedding. Sophie's happiness is short-lived as Sam and Harry each tell her they must be her dad and will give her away (" Voulez-Vous "). Sophie cannot tell them the truth and, overwhelmed by the consequences of her actions, faints. In the morning, Rosie and Tanya assure Donna they will take care of the men.

Bill and Harry are about to confide in each other, but are interrupted by Rosie. Donna confronts Sophie, believing Sophie wants the wedding stopped. Sophie says that all she wants is to avoid her mother's mistakes. Sam accosts Donna, concerned about Sophie getting married so young. Donna confronts him and they realize they still have feelings for each other (" SOS "). Tanya and young Pepper continue their flirtations from the previous night (" Does Your Mother Know "). Sophie confesses to Sky and asks for his help. He reacts angrily to Sophie's deception and she turns to her mother for support. As Donna helps her daughter dress for the wedding, their rift is healed and Donna reminisces about Sophie's childhood and how quickly she has grown (" Slipping Through My Fingers "). Donna admits that her own mother disowned her when she learned that she was pregnant. Sophie asks Donna to give her away. As the bridal party walks to the chapel, Sam intercepts Donna. She reveals the pain she felt over losing him (" The Winner Takes It All "). Sophie and Donna walk down the aisle as the band plays (" Knowing Me, Knowing You "). Donna tells Sophie that her father could be any of the three men.

Sam reveals that while he left to get married, he did not go through with it, and returned to find Donna with another man. Harry confesses that Donna was the first and last woman he loved and he has begun a relationship with a waiter from the taverna. The men agree that they would be happy to be one-third of a father for Sophie. She tells Sky they should postpone their wedding and travel the world as they have wanted. Sam proposes to Donna (" I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do "). She accepts and they are married. At the reception, Sam sings to Donna (" When All Is Said and Done "), which prompts Rosie to make a play for Bill (" Take a Chance on Me "). All the couples present proclaim their love (" Mamma Mia " reprise). Sophie and Sky sail away (" I Have a Dream " reprise). During the principal credits, Donna, Tanya and Rosie reprise "Dancing Queen", followed by " Waterloo " with the rest of the cast. Amanda Seyfried sings " Thank You for the Music " over the end credits, followed by an instrumental of " Does Your Mother Know ".

Cast[ edit ] Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan, Sophie's mother, owner of the hotel Villa Donna, wife and one true love of Sam at the end. Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan, Donna's daughter, Sky's fiancée. Pierce Brosnan as Sam Carmichael, Sophie's possible father/step-father and an Irish - American architect , husband and one true love of Donna. [2] Colin Firth as Harry Bright, Sophie's possible father and a British banker ; based on " Our Last Summer ", which he sings at one point. Production[ edit ] The Agios Ioannis chapel during filming of the wedding scene for Mamma Mia!. Most of the outdoor scenes were filmed on location at the small Greek island of Skopelos (during August/September 2007), [5] and the seaside hamlet of Damouchari in the Pelion area of Greece. On Skopelos, Kastani beach on the south west coast was the film's main location site. [5] The producers built a beach bar and jetty along the beach, but removed both set pieces after production wrapped.

[5] A complete set for Donna's Greek villa was built at the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios and most of the film was shot there. Real trees were utilised for the set, watered daily through an automated watering system and given access to daylight in order to keep them growing. The part of the film where Brosnan's character, Sam, leaves his New York office to go to the Greek Island was actually filmed at the iconic Lloyd's Building on Lime Street in the City of London . He dashes down the escalators and through the porte-cochere , where yellow cabs and actors representing New York mounted police were used for authenticity. [6] Movie was filmed in the Greek island of Skopelos The Fernando, Bill Anderson's yacht (actually a ketch ) in the film was the Tai-Mo-Shan built in 1934 by H. S. Rouse at the Hong Kong and Whampoa dockyards . [7] [8] Meryl Streep had taken opera singing lessons as a child, and as an adult, she had previously sung in several films, including Postcards from the Edge , Silkwood , Death Becomes Her , and A Prairie Home Companion .

[9] She had been a fan of the stage show Mamma Mia! since seeing it on Broadway in September 2001, when she had found the show an affirmation of life in the midst of the destruction of 9/11 . [10] Release[ edit ] Though the world premiere of the film occurred elsewhere, most of the media attention was focused on the Swedish premiere, where Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog joined Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson with the cast at the Rival Theatre in Mariatorget , Stockholm , owned by Andersson, on July 4, 2008. It was the first time all four members of ABBA had been photographed together since 1986. [11] Reception[ edit ] Pierce Brosnan's singing was heavily panned by critics Mamma Mia! received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 54% of critics gave the film positive reviews based upon a sample of 175 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10.

[12] The Times gave it four stars out of five, [13] ( registration required )(subscription required) as did Channel 4 ( Britain ) which said it had "all the swing and sparkle of sequined bell-bottoms." [14] BBC Radio 5 Live's film critic Mark Kermode admitted to enjoying the film, despite describing the experience as 'the closest you get to see A-List actors doing drunken karaoke'. [15] The Guardian was more negative, giving it one star, stating that the film gave the reviewer a "need to vomit", [16] while Bob Chipman of Escape to the Movies said it was "so base, so shallow and so hinged on meaningless spectacle, it's amazing it wasn't made for men". [17] The Daily Telegraph stated that it was enjoyable but poorly put together ("Finding the film a total shambles was sort of a shame, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'll go to see it again anyway."), [18] whereas Empire said it was "cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine and toe tappers." [19] The casting of actors not known for their singing abilities led to some mixed reviews.

Variety stated that "some stars, especially the bouncy and rejuvenated Streep, seem better suited for musical comedy than others, including Brosnan and Skarsgård." [20] Brosnan, especially, was savaged by many critics: his singing was compared to "a water buffalo" ( New York Magazine ), [21] "a donkey braying" ( The Philadelphia Inquirer ) [22] and "a wounded raccoon" ( The Miami Herald ), [23] and Matt Brunson of Creative Loafing Charlotte said he "looks physically pained choking out the lyrics, as if he's being subjected to a prostate exam just outside of (sic) the camera's eye." [24] Box office[ edit ] Mamma Mia! grossed a worldwide total of $602,609,487 and is the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. [1] It eventually became the highest grossing musical of all time in terms of worldwide take.

It is the third highest-grossing film of 2008 internationally (i.e., outside North America) with an international total of $458,479,424 and the thirteenth highest gross of 2008 in North America (the US and Canada) with $144,130,063. In the United Kingdom , Mamma Mia! has grossed £69,166,087 as of January 23, 2009, and is the sixth highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office (behind Skyfall , Avatar , Titanic , Toy Story 3 , and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ). [25] The film opened at #1 in the U.K, taking £6,594,058 on 496 screens. It managed to hold onto the top spot for 2 weeks, narrowly keeping Pixar 's WALL-E from reaching #1 in its second week.

When released on July 3 in Greece , the film grossed $1,602,646 in its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the Greek box office. [26] The film made $9,627,000 in its opening day in the United States and Canada, and $27,605,376 in its opening weekend, ranking #2 at the box office, behind The Dark Knight . [27] At the time, it made Mamma Mia! the record-holder for the highest grossing opening weekend for a movie based on a Broadway musical, surpassing Hairspray 's box office record in 2007 and later surpassed by Into the Woods . [28] Awards and nominations[ edit ] Sequel[ edit ] Because of the film's financial success, Hollywood studio chief David Linde, the co-chairman of Universal Studios told The Daily Mail that it would take a while, but there could be a sequel.

He stated that he would be delighted if Judy Craymer, Catherine Johnson , Phyllida Lloyd , Benny Andersson , and Björn Ulvaeus agreed to the project, noting that there are still plenty of ABBA songs to use. [32] Home media[ edit ] In November 2008, Mamma Mia! became the fastest-selling DVD of all time in the UK, according to Official UK Charts Company figures. It sold 1,669,084 copies on its first day of release, breaking the previous record (held by Titanic) by 560,000 copies. By the end of 2008, The Official UK Charts Company declared it had become the biggest selling DVD ever in the UK, with one in every four households owning a copy (over 5 million copies sold). [33] The record was previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl with sales of 4.7 million copies. In the United States the DVD made over $30 million on its first day of release. [34] By December 31, 2008, Mamma Mia!

had become the best-selling DVD of all time in Sweden with 545,000 copies sold. [35] Single-disc features Meryl Streep - Money, money, money - ABBA - (the movie Mamma Mia!) HQ - YouTube Meryl Streep - Money, money, money - ABBA - (the movie Mamma Mia!) HQ Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Mar 27, 2012 Mamma Mia! (Promovido como Mamma Mia! La película) es una etapa de 2008 a la película adaptación del musical del West End 1999 del mismo nombre, basado en las canciones de éxito de ABBA grupo, con música adicional compuesta también por el miembro de ABBA Benny Andersson.

La película fue muy bien en la taquilla convirtiéndose en la película de Hollywood de mayor éxito musical de todos los tiempos y la película más taquillera de todos los tiempos en el Reino Unido. Al igual que el musical de la etapa, el título de la película se origina a partir de 1975 el grupo de las listas de éxitos "Mamma Mia". Fue producido por Universal Pictures en asociación con Playtone y Littlestar. El 15 de diciembre de 2008, se anunció que Mamma Mia! se había convertido en la película de mayor recaudación en el Reino Unido de todos los tiempos. El récord anterior estaba en manos de Titanic, que fue lanzado en el Reino Unido en 1998. En este video se explica Donna sus precarias finanzas ("Money, Money, Money").

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- - Dirigida por Phyllida Lloyd Producido byJudy Craymer, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Phyllida Lloyd, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, escrito por Catherine Johnson Distribuido por Universal Pictures, Playtone Mamma Mia! (Promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a time of 2008 to the film adaptation of the 1999 West End musical of the same name, based on the hit songs of ABBA group, with additional music also composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson . The film was very well at the box office becoming the Hollywood movie most successful musical of all time and highest grossing film of all time in the UK. Like the stage musical, the film's title originates from 1975, the group of the charts "Mamma Mia". It was produced by Universal Pictures in association with Playtone and Littlestar. On December 15, 2008, it was announced that Mamma Mia! had become the highest grossing film in the UK of all time. The previous record was held by Titanic, which was released in the UK in 1998.

This video explains Donna their precarious finances ("Money, Money, Money"). -------------------------------------------------- Directed by Phyllida Lloyd ---------------- Produced byJudy Craymer, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Phyllida Lloyd, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, written by Catherine Johnson Distributed by Universal Pictures, Playtone Category

Question: Which 2008 musical film directed by Phyllida Lloyd is the highest grossing movie of all time in the UK?
Answer: Mamma Mia