Mamma Mia! The Movie
Filmmaker: Phyllida Lloyd
UK | USA | Germany / 2008 / 108 mins / English
With the stage show of Mamma Mia! already an international success, and the screen adaptation featuring a stellar cast of UK and US talent, Phyllida Lloyd’s film debut was destined for glory, but no-one was prepared for the record-smashing box office phenomenon that Mamma Mia! The Movie became.
Taking over $570m worldwide, Mamma Mia! has become the highest grossing movie musical of all time, becoming number one film of the year in 15 countries around the globe, and showing that women filmmakers can turn huge profit internationally, by appealing to women movie-goers.
In July 2008, its all-important UK first weekend, the film took over £6.5m, securing the number one spot and months of general release across the country. By November the all-singing all-dancing ABBA-fest broke the UK record for the highest grossing cinema release ever – pushing Titanic (1997) into second place.
These phenomenal viewing figures (it has gone on to break the record for fastest-selling DVD of all time in the UK), are due in no small part to the fact that the feel-good Summer sensation captured a new audience. Or rather, the audience was always there, but it took writer Catherine Johnson, producer Judy Craymer and director Phyllida Lloyd to tap into it! 75% of Mamma Mia! viewers have been women, and 64% of them over 30, proving there’s a huge audience out there who were finally given a reason to get down to the pictures.
dir. Phyllida Lloyd
About the Director
Born and raised in Bristol, Great Britain, Phyllida Lloyd is best known for her contribution to theater and the dramatic arts.
In 2000, Lloyd had her first taste of film directing when she stepped behind the camera for the made-for-TV film adaptation of Gloriana, which won her an International Emmy and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award—she also directed the operatic version to highly regarded reviews.
Hot off the success of Gloriana, Lloyd was offered the opportunity to direct the hit ABBA musical, Mamma Mia! (2008). Lloyd was the obvious choice when looking for someone to direct the film adaptation, and she jumped at the opportunity to make her feature film debut.
Watch this video interview with the brilliant Mamma Mia team Phyllida Lloyd (director), Judy Craymer (producer) & Catherine Johnson (writer)