We first wondered about the status of Donna Sheridan-Carmichael, Meryl Streep's whimsical matriarch in Mamma Mia!, when trailers for the follow-up released late last year seemed to indicate she might have passed away. With the hit musical's sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again days away from hitting theaters nationwide, we finally have an answer as to whether or not Streep's character is indeed dead or alive. **SPOILERS BELOW** Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again kicks off with Sophie, Donna's daughter and the character played by Amanda Seyfried, pregnant and struggling in her marriage to Sky, the man she married at the end of the 2008 film. But is her hotel manager mom, Donna, alive in the Mamma Mia! sequel? As it turns out, Donna passed away just a year prior to the events of the film, and her death just so happens to be the event which lends to Sophie's emotional crisis, making her wonder how she'll be able to raise a baby without the help of her own beloved mother, who was a single mom. We never really find out how Donna died, though it's hinted that it was illness that spirited away our beloved Dancing Queen to the afterlife. However, that's not to say Donna doesn't appear in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at all. Streep appears in cameo as Donna at one point for a duet at the end of the film, and the character is also portrayed by Cinderella and Baby Driver actress Lily James in multiple flashbacks throughout the film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is out July 20.<doc-sep>This Morning: Pierce Brosnan called out on Mamma Mia spoiler FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Fans were confused when This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby claimed he revealed a previously unknown plot detail but it’s unclear what exactly it was. Brosnan said of the musical's premise: ”It's how Meryl [Streep] met Sam, Harry and it's delightful – there's much more meat on the bone on this one. "I think it's as good as, if not better than, the last one. “We all felt that, and the first one was so brilliant and such an unexpected surprise for everyone. Just went through the roof." Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again star Pierce Brosnan talked about the movie Brosnan spoke alongside Amanda Seyfried Schofield said: "I don't think you realise, Pierce, that you've just done a little bit of a spoiler..." Brosnan looked confused as Willoughby agreed with her co-host, but viewers were unsure what it was exactly that Brosnan had given away. Granted, there is much confusion over what exactly Meryl Streep’s involvement is, with speculation abound that her character Donna has died. But it’s no secret that Streep has recorded new scenes, with her being confirmed for the cast back when the sequel was announced. Is there an ABBA reunion on the cards? Thu, January 21, 2016 A look at Swedish pop group ABBA through their musical career. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 18 Swedish pop group ABBA pose outside Waterloo train station in London Brosnan had also said she had filmed new material, saying when asked about signing up for the follow-up: “We’ve talked about [a sequel], people have asked me over the ten-year period ‘are you going to do another one’, and I’ve said ‘it’s not up to me’. “I got the call one day that ‘we’re on’. I said, ‘is Amanda doing it?’ they said ‘yes’, ‘Meryl doing it?’, ‘yes’.” Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again unites the original cast and adds Lily James as a young Donna, plus Cher as her mother. Trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again The new Mamma Mia movie comes ten years after the first<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. The popular actress, who plays Donna, has been missing from the trailers and hasn’t played a big role in the movie’s publicity campaign. As a result, fans have been busy speculating that Donna may have died since the events of the first movie, and will show up only in spiritual or flashback form. Still, Streep beamed in a new featurette that the new film has “an incredible joy”. “I really never thought that there would be a sequel,” she admitted.<doc-sep>
Trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. As the first wave of reviews for the musical sequel hit the internet, the spoiler has been dropped. This is your last chance to click back and turn away if you want to go into the cinema oblivious… Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is out this week Streep still makes a cameo appearance Yes, Donna has passed away, according to Variety - even though Streep does appear in spiritual form. The movie begins with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), one year on from the tragedy, trying to launch her own hotel - the Belladonna - in memory of her mother. And Donna plays a key role in proceedings; played as a younger woman by Lily James; who has so far been positively reviewed. The Independent said: “The effervescent James may not look much like a younger Streep but she is likeable and energetic enough as Donna to breeze through even the most cheesy scenes.” Mamma Mia cast - then and now Sun, July 15, 2018 As Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again hits cinemas, how have the cast changed in the ten years since the original? Play slideshow STUDIO STILL 1 of 10 The first Mamma Mia movie came out in 2008 Entertainment Weekly issued a B grade, saying of the former Downton Abbey star: “She has the unenviable task of slipping into a role invented onscreen by Meryl Streep, but she wears it so lightly, and with so much tart, fizzy sweetness, the camera and the story follow.” Streep, they added, has “little more than a glorified cameo”. The Mirror gave the movie four stars, saying of Pierce Brosnan: “He still can't carry a tune in a bucket, but that doesn't stop him from manfully trying.” The cast premiered the movie last night Lily James is the young Donna