Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the 1999 musical of the same name using the music of ABBA. The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy García, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Cher, Meryl Streep, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, and Hugh Skinner. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the previous film, and is intersected with flashbacks to Donna's youth in 1979, with some scenes from the two time periods mirroring each other.

Due to the financial success of the first film, Universal Pictures had long been interested in a sequel. The film was officially announced in May 2017, with Parker hired to write and direct. In June 2017, many of the original cast confirmed their involvement, with James being cast in the role of Young Donna that July. Filming took place from August to December 2017 in Croatia (most prominently Vis), Bordeaux, Stockholm, Oxford, Hampton and at Shepperton Studios. A British and American joint venture, the film was co-produced by Playtone, Littlestar Productions, Perfect World Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was premiered at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on July 16, 2018, and was released in the United Kingdom and the United States on July 20, 2018, ten years to the week after its predecessor's release, in both standard and IMAX formats.^[5] The film was a box office success, grossing $402 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews, as an improvement over its predecessor with critics praising the performances and musical numbers.^[6][7] The film is dedicated to the memory of production designer Alan MacDonald.

In a 1979 flashback, young Donna Sheridan graduates from Oxford's New College with Rosie and Tanya ("When I Kissed the Teacher"), and dreams of the Greek island Kalokairi. Her mother Ruby is a famous singer, but they have a strained relationship, she is always away on tour so does not attend the graduation. Fed up with her mother's constant absence and determined to spend her life making memories, Donna travels to Kalokairi to find her destiny.

In the present,^{[lower-alpha 1]} Sophie is in Kalokairi preparing the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna in honour of her recently deceased mother. Harry and Bill can't attend due to overseas obligations and Sophie also feels estranged from Sky, who has been offered a job in NYC ("One of Us").

In Paris, Donna meets the sweet, awkward Harry Bright, who instantly falls in love with her ("Waterloo"). They spend the night together, but Donna leaves early for Greece. Missing her boat to Kalokairi, Bill Anderson gives her a lift in his sailboat, where they dance and flirt ("Why Did It Have to Be Me?"). On the way, they help stranded fisherman Alexio back to shore in time to save the love of his life from marrying another. Unbeknownst to Donna, Harry has followed her to Greece, however he arrives too late and she sails off with Bill.

In the present, Rosie and Tanya arrive and Sophie shows them the renovated hotel ("I Have a Dream"). This mirrors the past, when Donna explores the abandoned farmhouse that would eventually become the hotel. A heavy storm then breaks out and Donna discovers a trapped horse and soothes it with the assistance of Sam Carmichael. In the present, a heavy storm both destroys the decorations and cuts off ferries to Kalokairi, to Sophie's dismay.

Sam, who lives in a cabin on the island, reassures Sophie that she can never disappoint her mother, unlike him. Before Sophie was born, Donna and Sam were enjoying a whirlwind romance ("The Name of the Game") which ended badly when she discovered he was engaged to another. Heartbroken, Donna breaks it off and tearfully watches him leave the island ("Knowing Me, Knowing You"), while the present Sam reassures Sophie how important she was to her.

Following Sam's departure, Donna is visited by Tanya and Rosie, who cheer her up by performing as Donna and the Dynamos ("Mamma Mia"). Bill returns to the island, and she joins him on his boat, much to the chagrin of Rosie who fell for Bill. While they are gone, Sam returns, having ended his engagement for Donna, but is saddened to hear she is with another.

Donna discovers she is pregnant but has no idea which one of her three recent lovers is the father. Bill's great-aunt Sofia overhears Donna's wish to stay on the island and reveals she owns the abandoned farmhouse where she has been staying. Donna happily accepts her offer to stay there, where she later gives birth to Sophie.

In the present, Sophie tells Rosie and Tanya about her problems with Sky, and Rosie explains how she and Bill broke up ("Angel Eyes"). Meanwhile, Bill, Harry, and Sky leave their ventures abroad to support Sophie but are told there are no boats to Kalokairi.

However, Alexio recognises Bill so offers the trio safe boat passage to the island as gratitude for saving his relationship. Bill convinces everyone to join them for the Kalokairi party. When the guests arrive ("Dancing Queen"), Bill and Rosie soon reunite over their mutual grief over Donna's death, and Sophie tells Sky she is pregnant and never feeling closer to her mother.

The celebration is suddenly disrupted when Ruby arrives, despite not being invited by Sophie. Ruby explains that Sky tracked her down, and she wants to build a relationship with her granddaughter. Sophie then performs with the Dynamos in honour of Donna ("I've Been Waiting for You"). Ruby is proud, and expresses slight but sincere grief over her daughter's death. Then it is revealed that the hotel manager, Señor Fernando Cienfuegos, is Ruby's long-lost lover from 1959, so they are joyously reunited ("Fernando").

Nine months later, Sophie gives birth to baby boy Donny. At the christening, Donna's ghost proudly watches, and they have a final moment before Donna fully passes on ("My Love, My Life"). The end credits show all the characters, including Donna and the younger cast, at a party at Hotel Bella Donna ("Super Trouper").

• Christine Baranski as Tanya Chesham-Leigh, one of Donna's best friends and former bandmates in Donna and the Dynamos; a rich three-time divorcee
  • Jessica Keenan Wynn as young Tanya
• Pierce Brosnan as Sam Carmichael, an architect, Sophie's stepfather, Ruby's son-in-law, Sky's father-in-law, Donna's widower, and Donny's grandfather
  • Jeremy Irvine as young Sam
• Dominic Cooper as Sky Rymand, Sophie's husband, Donna and Sam's son-in-law, and Donny's father
• Colin Firth as Harry Bright, a British businessman
  • Hugh Skinner as young Harry
• Andy García as Señor Fernando Cienfuegos, the Mexican manager of the Hotel Bella Donna, who had an affair with Ruby in 1959
• Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan-Carmichael, founder of Donna and the Dynamos, Sophie's late mother, Ruby's late daughter, Sam's late wife, Sky's late mother-in-law, Donny's late grandmother and best friend of Tanya and Rosie
  • Lily James as young Donna
• Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan, Donna's daughter, Ruby's granddaughter, Sam's stepdaughter, Sky's wife, and Donny's mother
• Stellan Skarsgård as Bill Anderson, a Swedish sailor and travel writer, Sofia's great-nephew and Lazaros's cousin. Skarsgård also plays Kurt Anderson, Bill's obese twin brother.
  • Josh Dylan as young Bill
• Julie Walters as Rosie Mulligan, one of Donna's best friends and former bandmates in Donna and the Dynamos; a fun-loving author in a relationship with Bill
  • Alexa Davies as young Rosie
• Cher as Ruby Sheridan, Donna's mother, Sophie's grandmother, Donny's great-grandmother, and Sam's mother-in-law
• Maria Vacratsis as Sofia, Bill's great-aunt, Lazaros's mother, and Sophie's namesake, a local who owns the shack in which Donna and Sam stay and which eventually becomes Donna's home
• Celia Imrie as the vice-chancellor of the university at which Donna, Tanya, and Rosie studied
• Omid Djalili as a Greek customs officer
• Gerard Monaco as Alexio
• Panos Mouzourakis as Lazaros, Sofia's son
• Naoko Mori as Yumiko
• Togo Igawa as Mr. Tatyama
• Anastasia Hille as Dr. Inge Horvath
• Jonathan Goldsmith as Don Rafael Cienfuegos, Fernando Cienfuegos's brother
• Björn Ulvaeus as a university professor (uncredited)
• Benny Andersson as the pianist in the Parisian restaurant during "Waterloo" (uncredited)

A soundtrack album was released on July 13, 2018, by Capitol and Polydor Records in the United States and internationally, respectively.^[8][9] The album was produced by Benny Andersson, who also served as the album's executive producer alongside Björn Ulvaeus and Judy Craymer. Each song is featured within the film, with the exception of "I Wonder (Departure)" and "The Day Before You Came".

• ^† Songs featured on the soundtrack album but omitted from the film.

Additionally, short and instrumental versions of other ABBA songs were included in the film, but omitted from the soundtrack. In chronological order:

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released on July 20, 2018, by Universal Pictures, in the United Kingdom, United States and other selected countries in both standard and IMAX formats.^[27][5] The film premiered on July 16, 2018, at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.^[28]

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released via digital copy on October 9, 2018, and released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD Combo Pack on October 23, 2018.^[31] The film debuted at the top of the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart for the week ending on October 27, 2018.^[32] It retained the top spot on the chart for the week ending on November 3, 2018.^[33]

In June 2020, Judy Craymer announced that a third film was in development, with the producer confirming that some of the new ABBA songs written for the band's reunion could feature in the soundtrack, although stating that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused delays with development of the project.^[56] After months of postponement, ABBA released their new album Voyage in November 2021.

In an interview with BBC Two's Newsnight in May 2023, Andersson expressed his skepticism about the prospect of a sequel, describing it as "wishful thinking" and saying he would not like to see a sequel made unless there were substantial changes.^[57] In October 2023, Craymer reaffirmed a third film.^[58]