With a giant (fake) Greek church and a bunch of lemon trees (with fake lemons) giving the urban landscape of Leicester Square a (fake) Mediterranean feel, the world premiere of Mamma Mia! The Movie was a hot and summery affair.
The movie’s stars, including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried, were joined on the red carpet by three quarters of Abba and executive producers Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks to celebrate the release of the all-singing, all-dancing music fest.
“I grew up with them very much,” said Skarsgard of his Abba influences. “I didn't like them so much when I was younger but they have sort of grown on me as I've gotten older."
With the whole cast lending their vocals to the camp classics, did the idea of singing give Stellan the jitters?
“It was horrifying but that's why I did it,” he said. “I've never danced, I've never sung, it was a real challenge but a lot of fun.”
So who’s vocal talents impressed him the most?
“In this movie? I think that The Winner Takes It All with Meryl Streep singing, I think that's my favourite one.”
For Dominic Cooper, this flick gave him the chance to work alongside some of his favourite actors, plus bust a few moves and belt out a few classic tunes, but was he ever a fan of the Swedish supergroup?
“I never thought I was fan,” he said. “But when I was 13 I sang Money Money Money - my girlfriend sent people the video - so I guess there is evidence to the contrary.”