ICYMI, the 2008 classic Mamma Mia! has a planned sequel for this upcoming summer, and on Thursday, the long-awaited trailer hit the internet. While fans caught sight of Amanda Seyfried’s Sophie and her three “dads” in the trailer, as well as mother Donna’s two best friends, one character was suspiciously absent from sequel footage. Meryl Streep, who plays Donna, only seemed to appear in parts recycled from the first film, and Sophie kept commenting on Donna’s absence very vaguely. This caused many viewers to suspect the worst and assume that Donna is dead in the sequel. Come on, guys, is killing off Meryl Streep really a good idea?
Cosmopolitan reports that after the Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again trailer was released, fans were quick to express their fears on Twitter about a (albeit, cinematic) world without Streep.
whenever Donna is referred to in the past tense #MammaMia2 pic.twitter.com/8FbcfHxhvD
— Lou (@_lou_price) December 21, 2017
So y’all are gonna tell me that I have waited 10 years for Mamma Mia 2 and Donna fckin Sheridan is dead?
ffs 2018 you’re already cancelled #MammaMia #MammaMia2 #MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain @mammamiamovie #MovieTrailers pic.twitter.com/plgXScKo9x
— Jeff Yantos (@Xoxoitsjeff) December 21, 2017
GIVE ME A HAPPY AND ALIVE DONNA SHERIDAN THANK YOU VERY MUCH #MammaMia2 pic.twitter.com/WvrR4bSqTK
— Liv (@_hazzasmile_) December 21, 2017
I WAS WAITING FOR MERYL TO COME OUT FROM THE TRAILER OF #MammaMia2 . AND I’M SO FREAKING EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW! I MEAN IS SHE DEAD?
— Meryl Streep Fans (@StreepersPH) December 17, 2017
Based on the trailer, the majority of the story seems to focus on a young Donna (played by Lily James) moving to Greece, meeting the three men who were Sophie’s possible fathers and rocking out with her girl band, The Dynamos. The flashbacks parallel with the current day, in which Sophie is newly pregnant and dealing with the absence (death?!) of her mother.
While the film will definitely miss a certain element of fun if Streep isn’t making a new appearance in it, this sequel still looks like it’ll be a perfectly campy summer flick. Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again is in theaters on July 20, 2018. Check out the trailer below!