Mamma Mia!

[Ace]

From Korea with subtitles - interviews and snippets (some have been posted before, others seem to be new)

movie.daum.net/moviedetail/moviedetailVideoView.do?movieId=43220&videoId=15260

These can be downloaded like Youtube files - i.e. with Download Helper if you have Firefox

[Ace]

Sept 19-21: Actuals

Domestic: $141,192,290
+ Foreign: $334,909,785
= Worldwide: $476,102,075



Hollywood Reporter

Weekend actuals:

Universal's musical phenom "Mamma Mia!" kept up an amazing beat as it held the No. 1 place for a third straight week in the overseas market, taking in $14.5 million from 4,056 screens in 42 countries. Astounding boxoffice results continued to emerge: Korea held at No. 1 for a third week; it was the biggest opening ever for a musical in Singapore; it became the highest-grossing film of all time in Iceland; it held at No. 2 in the U.K. in its 11th weekend for a 73-day total $118.8 million. Combined with the domestic gross of $141.2 million, the worldwide gross has reached $476.1 million.

======================================

Screen Daily:UPI leads international weekend with Mamma Mia!

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles
21 Sep 2008

Mamma Mia! extended its international supremacy courtesy of another solid weekend as Universal's stage musical adaptation reaped a further $14m from 4,359 sites in 48 territories to raise the running total to $334m.

The latest estimate combines with the $141m North American tally for a $475m worldwide running total. The film's extraordinary success looks set to continue: there are 12 territories to go including Russia on September 25, Italy on October 3 and Japan on January 30 and a worldwide tally in excess of $500m should be well within Universal's grasp.

Mamma Mia! held on to the number one spot in South Korea for the third consecutive weekend as $2.9m from 237 sites following a 29% drop from the holiday weekend raised the running total to $16m. The musical also held on to top spot in its second weekend in Brazil as $560,000 from 138 following a 27% drop boosted the gross to $1.7m.

In other strong seconds weekend holds the film held on to second place in France on $2m from 454 following a 34% fall for $6.2m and added $640,000 from 289 in Mexico after slipping 25% for $2.2m.

The extraordinary UK run continued as Mamma Mia! added $1.4m from 405 in the 11th weekend following a 37% drop for $118.8m (£61.5m). This consolidates its position as the biggest film of the year in the UK and, having just overtaken The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, Mamma Mia! now ranks as the fourth biggest release of all time in the UK behind The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone and Titanic.

Latest figures put the musical in fourth place in Germany on $910,000 from 578 for $35.4m after ten, seventh in Spain on $629,000 from 339 for $17.2m after seven, $300,000 from 103 in the Netherlands for $8.1m after nine, and $190,000 from 197 in Australia for $28.5m.

Both of this weekend's launches opened at number one as Mamma Mia! took $399,000 from 28 venues in Singapore and $95,000 from 28 in Indonesia.


======================================
It returned to #1 in Norway (923,608 admissions) & Sweden in it's 11th weekends
It became the all time #4 in the U.K: £61,653,876 (£1.36m from #3 LOTR: FOTR)
#1 film for the year so far in UK, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Netherlands, Iceland, Austria, Hungary, New Zealand.
#2 so far in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Finland, Czech Republic

[Ace]

Sept- 26-18 Estimates

Domestic: $142,172,000
+ Foreign: $356,400,000
= Worldwide: $498,572,000


Hollywood Reporter: 'Mamma' reigns: Musical adaptation continues overseas domination

By Frank Segers

Sept 28, 2008, 05:22 PM ET


PARIS -- DreamWorks' "Eagle Eye" added a soupcon of spark to the foreign circuit during the weekend, but Universal's "Mamma Mia!" dominated overseas for a fourth consecutive frame, grossing an estimated $15.3 million from 4,562 screens in 48 territories.

The spectacular foreign run for "Mamma Mia!" continues apace as the smash musical adaptation, starring Meryl Streep, improved 1% from last weekend's international tally. The film's overseas gross stands at $356.4 million, 2 1/2 times its domestic take. Universal predicts the global cume for "Mamma Mia!" will reach a cool $500 million by the middle of this week.

"Mamma Mia!" opened No. 1 during the weekend in Russia ($4.3 million from 436 sites, Universal's fourth-largest opening in that market), Ukraine and Malaysia. The tally for its fourth weekend in Korea was a solid $2 million, from 237 locations. Still to come for the musical are openings in nine territories, including Italy on Friday and Japan on Jan. 30.


Variety:‘Mamma' still on top overseas

Film brings in $15.3 at international box office

By DAVE MCNARY

Underlining its status as an international sensation, "Mamma Mia!" warbled its way to a fourth straight victory at the foreign box office with $15.3 million at 4,562 playdates in 49 markets.

Frame also saw "Wall-E" continue its steady overseas performance with $11.1 million at 3,440 in 33 territories. And domestic leader "Eagle Eye" generated moderate biz in a limited launch with $4.2 million at 1,043 in 13 countries, led by $1.4 million in Australia.

"Mamma Mia!" has kept the overall biz healthy at a time when moviegoing’s typically modest. With the combo of a socko Russian launch plus its trademark strong holdovers, pic has cumed $356.4 million overseas — dwarfing its still-impressive domestic total of $142.2 million.

"Mamma Mia!" opened with $4.3 million in Russia for Universal’s fourth best debut in that market and won its fourth Korean frame with $2 million, off only 20%. And the movie remained remarkably resilient in the U.K. in its 12th weekend with a smallish 15% decline to $1.1 million for a Brit cume of $120.9 million — leaving it just short of eclipsing "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" as the third-highest grosser in that market, trailing only "Titanic" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."

With an Italian launch next weekend, "Mamma Mia!" looks likely to keep minting money outside the U.S. for several more frames. The tuner will probably surpass "Hancock" at $391.7 million and "Kung Fu Panda" at $411.2 million to become the third-largest international grosser of 2008 — trailing only "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" at $465 million and "The Dark Knight" at $460 million.

[Ace]

From DVD Active on the Blu-Ray version

Released: 16th December 2008
SRP: $34.98 (2-Disc)

Further Details:

Universal Home Video has announced 1-disc ($29.98), 2-disc ($34.98) and Blu-ray ($39.98) releases of Mamma Mia! which stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth.

Extras on the 2-disc will include on-screen lyrics for 22 musical numbers, 3 featurettes (The Making of Mamma Mia!, Becoming a Singer, On Location), Amanda Seyfrieds "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" music video, and much more.

The Blu-ray release will include all that, along with the ability to record your own video commentary track, and extra BD-Live content. We've attached an advertisement containing the official package artwork below:

[Ace]

Oct 3-5 Estimates

Domestic: $142,734,000
+ Foreign: $377,200,000
= Worldwide: $519,934,000


Variety: 'Mamma' still super overseas

By DAVE MCNARY

Foreign sensation "Mamma Mia!" stayed unstoppable at international multiplexes, racking up its fifth consecutive weekend victory with $14.1 million at 4,406 play dates in 47 markets.

The tuner's taken in a dazzling $377.2 million and kept overall biz healthy during the early fall -- a period when moviegoing tends to soften as studios opt for a combo of summer holdovers and smallish rollouts of new pics.

For example, the frame saw domestic winner "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" put the bite on respectable foreign grosses with $4.8 million at only 810 in five territories for a decent per-location average of $5,926 -- best among major launches and mostly from $2.4 million in Australia and $1.8 million in Mexico. Paramount's comedy "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People," with local fave Simon Pegg toplining, opened day and date in the U.K. in first with a moderate $2.1 million at 449.

"Mamma Mia!" opened in first in Italy with $2.8 million as U noted that it expects strong word of mouth even though Italians are usually not fans of musicals. Holdover biz continued to be exceptions with the U.K. rising 25% to $1.4 million in its 13th week for a Brit cume of $123.3 million while Korean grosses slid 25% in the fifth frame to $1.6 million.

"Mamma!" still has plenty of gas in the tank with eight territories to open, including Japan on Jan. 30. Its stunning performance has left Universal with nearly $1.5 billion, trailing only Warner Bros. and Paramount at $1.6 billion -- keeping the international biz for the six majors 2% behind last year's record-setting pace, which finished 2007 at $9.5 billion.

[icy1979]

Hi there,

I'm happy to tell you that as of today / this week Mamma Mia is the most successful movie 2008 in Germany!

The top 10 are:
1. Mamma Mia - 3.980.840 visitors
2. Hancock - 3.842.111 visitors
3. Earth - 3.725.853 visitors
4. Kung Fu Panda - 3.078.685 visitors
5. Indiana Jones IV - 2.841.652 visitors
6. The Dark Knight - 2.736.859 visitors
7. Die Welle (German Movie) - 2.592.719 visitors
8. Sex and the City - 2.461.473 visitors
9. I am Legend - 2.442.162 visitors
10. P.S. I love you - 2.133.814 visitors

Congrats @meryl, Amanda, Pierce, Colin, Stellan, Julie, Christine, Dominic, Benni, Björn, Phyllida, etc.

[Ace]

Weekend: Oct 8-10

Domestic: $143,062,000
+ Foreign: $390,651,876
= Worldwide: $533,713,876

Screen Daily: Russia's The Admiral has huge local bow for Fox International

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles
13 Oct 2008

A local Russian hit and a Hollywood paranoia thriller knocked Mamma Mia off its perch after a grand five-week reign as international champion.

Mamma Mia! may have been dethroned but remained unbowed as it continued to surge towards the $400m mark thanks to an $8m haul from 4,100 venues in 48 territories through UPI that raised the tally to $390.5m. Universal chiefs said they expect to reach $400m next weekend.

The musical adaptation took a further $2m from 278 sites in Italy in the second weekend for $5.6m and sustained its historic run in the UK with an $810,000 (£470,000) gross from 363 that brought the running total after 14 weekends to $124.8m (£65m). Mamma Mia! is closing in on Harry Potter And the Sorcerer's Stone's £66.1m final total to become the second biggest release in the UK. Titanic, as in so many territories, remains the one to beat on £69m.

Mamma Mia! added $1m from 249 venues in its sixth weekend in South Korea for $22.4m. There are seven territories to go including Japan on January 30 2009. Next week the dancing queens touch down in Egypt, Chile and Peru.

[Ace]

Mamma Mia has become so far the #1 for the year in the U.K. (about to become 2nd all time, over 12m admissions, at £65m+), Germany (over 4m adm and $38m+), Sweden (over 1.5m adm and $20m+), Norway (over 1m adm and $16m+), Netherlands, Iceland, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, South Africa, New Zealand. In several of these markets it's become top five all time. It's also #2 in Australia ($28m+), Poland, Switzerland (and about to become #1 there), #4 in Spain ($18m+) and top ten in South Korea ($22m+)

[Ace]

'2008 American Music Awards' Nominees Announced

Winners Determined by Online Voting at amavote.com

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- "2008 American Music Awards (AMAs)" host Jimmy Kimmel and recording artists Julianne Hough and Jesse McCartney revealed the American Music Awards nominees this morning from the Beverly Hills Hotel (see full list of nominees below). Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Taylor Swift, the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on The Block were also announced as performers for the 36th annual AMAs, joining previously named performers the Jonas Brothers and P!nk. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

The live broadcast will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC. Tickets are now on sale (please visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS).

For the second year, winners will be determined by online voting at amavote.com, the official voting location (votes will be collected from October 14 to November 7). Artists will be honored in the categories of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin and Contemporary Inspirational. Fans can go to the official homepage of the "2008 American Music Awards," ama.abc.com, to find performer and presenter announcements, artist information, etc ...

Music fans will also be able to vote for the T-Mobile "Breakthrough Artist" Award. The nominees for this special award are Colbie Caillat, Flo Rida, Jonas Brothers, Paramore and The-Dream. Fans can vote at amavote.com and/or via text-message for T-Mobile customers (Standard text-messaging rates apply). Voting for the T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award begins November 10th and concludes during the American Music Awards on November 23rd.

Alicia Keys leads the pack this year with five nominations, Favorite Female Artist in both the Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B categories, two Favorite Album nominations for her album, As I Am, in the Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B categories as well as an Artist of the Year nod. Coldplay garnered four nominations this year, Favorite Artist in the Alternative Rock category, Favorite Band Duo or Group and Favorite album, for Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, in the Pop/Rock category and Artist of the Year. Eagles also earned four nominations; Favorite Band Duo or Group and Favorite Album in the Pop/Rock category, Favorite Artist in the Adult Contemporary category and Artist of the Year. In addition to Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Eagles; Lil Wayne and Chris Brown round out the 2008 Artist of the Year nominees.

Larry Klein, AMA producer stated, "From our nominees to performances, to Jimmy Kimmel's humor, this year's AMA's is sure to be a great evening. The show is a true reflection of popular culture and what is current to consumers of live and recorded music."

Orly Adelson, dick clark productions president stated, "Our 2008 show's impressive roster of talent makes November 23 a must-see night for any music fan; this is what is special about the AMA's. No matter what type of music you enjoy, the American Music Awards always delivers the hottest acts across all music genres. It is a music lover's night to celebrate."

About the Voting --

Initial nominees were selected by using ballots containing names compiled from data supplied by the music industry trade publication, Radio & Records and Nielsen Soundscan, which tracks retail music sales. The ballots were then sent to a national sampling of more than 15,000 people based among other things on what type of music they listen to, what they buy and how many albums they purchase per year. The top three vote getters in each category were determined to be the nominees for this year's American Music Awards (except in the Artist of the Year and T-Mobile Breakthrough categories which each have five Nominees). Winners will be determined by online voting at ama.abc.com as well as at amavote.com (votes will be collected from October 14 to November 7).

About dick clark productions, inc. --

Founded in 1957, dick clark productions, inc. ("dcp") is a leading independent producer of television programming. dcp produces perennial hits such as Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, the American Music Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. dcp also produces popular weekly television programming, including So You Think You Can Dance, and owns and maintains one of the world's most unique and extensive entertainment libraries, which includes more than 30 years of American Bandstand footage. For additional information about dcp, please visit www.dickclarkproductions.com.

About the American Music Awards --

In 1973 Dick Clark created the American Music Awards to pay tribute to popular musicians from various genres of music and to put audiences in touch with the latest phenomena in American music. Since its founding, the AMAs have honored and showcased the talents of some of the biggest names in the music industry. For press credential requests, please go to www.dickclarkproductions.com/ama.

FINAL NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2008 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

POP/ ROCK MUSIC

1. FAVORITE MALE ARTIST

1. Chris Brown
2. Kid Rock
3. Usher

2. FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST

1. Mariah Carey
2. Alicia Keys
3. Rihanna

3. FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP

1. Coldplay
2. Eagles
3. Daughtry

4. FAVORITE ALBUM

1. Coldplay/ Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
2. Eagles/ Long Road Out of Eden
3. Alicia Keys/ As I Am

COUNTRY MUSIC

5. FAVORITE MALE ARTIST

1. Garth Brooks
2. Kenny Chesney
3. Brad Paisley

6. FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST

1. Reba McEntire
2. Taylor Swift
3. Carrie Underwood

7. FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP

1. Brooks & Dunn
2. Rascal Flatts
3. Sugarland

8. FAVORITE ALBUM

1. Garth Brooks/ The Ultimate Hits
2. Rascal Flatts/ Still Feels Good
3. Carrie Underwood/Carnival Ride

RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC

9. FAVORITE MALE ARTIST

1. Flo Rida
2. Lil Wayne
2. Kanye West

10. FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP

1. G Unit
2. Three 6 Mafia
3. Wu-Tang Clan

11. FAVORITE ALBUM

1. Jay-Z/American Gangster
2. Lil Wayne/ Tha Carter III
3. Kayne West/ Graduation

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC

12. FAVORITE MALE ARTIST

1. Chris Brown
2. J. Holiday
3. Usher

13. FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST

1. Mary J. Blige
2. Alicia Keys
3. Rihanna

14. FAVORITE ALBUM

1. Mary J. Blige/ Growing Pains
2. Mariah Carey/ E=MC2
3. Alicia Keys/ As I Am

SOUNDTRACKS

15. FAVORITE ALBUM

1. Alvin And The Chipmunks
2. Juno
3. Mamma Mia!

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC

16. FAVORITE ARTIST
1. Coldplay
2. Foo Fighters
3. Linkin Park

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

17. FAVORITE ARTIST

1. Daughtry
2. Eagles
3. Jordin Sparks

LATIN MUSIC

18. FAVORITE ARTIST

1. Enrique Iglesias
2. Juanes
3. Wisin Y Yandel

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

19. FAVORITE ARTIST

1. Casting Crowns
2. MercyMe
3. Third Day

20. T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

Colbie Caillat
Flo Rida
Jonas Brothers
Paramore
The-Dream

21. ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lil Wayne
Chris Brown
Alicia Keys
Eagles
Coldplay

Website: www.amavote.com/
Website: www.dickclarkproductions.com/

[Ace]

Weekend: Oct 17-19 (Estimates)

Domestic: $143,336,000
+ Foreign: $400,481,191
= Worldwide: $543,817,191

Screen Daily: Mamma Mia! crosses $400m international mark

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles

19 Oct 2008

Abba movie Mamma Mia! passed another milestone in a phenomenal run in international markets, crossing the $400m mark.

Universal's dancing queens added $5.9m this weekend through UPI from 3,789 locations in 49 territories to reach $400.1m.

In so doing became it became Universal's second biggest international release behind Jurassic Park.

It is now the fourth biggest overseas hit of the year-to-date behind Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull on $466m, The Dark Knight on $464m and Kung Fu Panda on $418m.

This weekend Mamma Mia! opened at number one in Chile, Peru and Egypt and enjoyed a solid $1.4m hold in its third weekend in Italy from 284 venues to raise the tally to $7.5m.

In the UK the film added $620,000 (£360,000) from 331 sites in its 15th weekend to reach a sensational $126.1m (£65.8m) running total and is poised to overtake Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone's £66.1m total and become the second biggest release in the UK behind Titanic on £69m.

South Korea has generated $23.3m and Germany stands at $38.2m. There are four territories to go including Japan on January 30, 2009.

[Johanna]

Yeah, Mamma Mia! ROCKS.

[Ace]

ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hhFMn-joKl-42Or2xX9ImzY8OA9w

Mamma Mia! may be best selling DVD (in the U.K.)

DVD sales of Mamma Mia! The Movie are set to copy its box office success, as a retailer predicted that the film could become its biggest-selling ever.

The Mamma Mia! DVD, due out on November 24, is set to topple Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) as the best selling DVD before release, according to Amazon.co.uk.

The Abba-inspired film starring Meryl Streep has been top of the retailer's DVD charts for the past two months.

Amazon said the film has already sold more copies before release than any of the Harry Potter movies.

It is currently the retailer's third biggest-selling pre-order ever, just behind The Bourne Ultimatum, the biggest-selling DVD of 2007.

Sarah Hughes, DVD Manager at Amazon.co.uk, said: "We could well be looking at Mamma Mia! not only being our biggest selling pre-order of all time but our biggest selling DVD full stop."

The movie has already become Universal's biggest UK film of all time. It has generated more than £65 million at the UK box office.

[lotsofluck]

Do we have a release date for the DVD in the US?

I just checked Amazon.com to see if I could pre-order it and did not find it listed.

[Ace]

Supposedly it's December 16 for the U.S.

[Ace]

Oct 24-26 (Estimates)

Domestic: $143,544,000
+ Foreign: $408,700,000
= Worldwide: $552,544,000

Screen Daily

Mamma Mia! grossed $4m from 3,200 in 50 territories for $408.7m and added $385,000 for $128m (£66.3m) in the UK in the 16th weekend.

[Ace]

Screen Daily: Mamma Mia! becomes biggest ever UK movie at UK box-office

Audrey Ward in London
29 Oct 2008 16:45

Mamma Mia! The Movie has broken box office records to become the biggest UK movie of all time at the UK box-office.

Like the James Bond and Harry Potter franchises, the film is a UK-US collaboration. With box-office reaching $104,590,000* (£66,995,244), it is the second highest-grossing film of all time in the UK behind Titanic. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was previously the most successful British film of all time at the UK box-office having grossed £66,096,000 in the UK.

Now in its 16th week of release in the U.K., Mamma Mia! has also become the No. 1 film of the year in 13 countries including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Cyprus and Sweden. ** It recently crossed the $500m mark worldwide becoming one of Universal's top grossing and most profitable movies ever.

Speaking to Screen on Mamma Mia!'s success, David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International said:

"What is interesting is the speed at which it has gotten to this level. We are ahead of Harry Potter and continue to be ahead of Titanic at this stage. And we think it still has some life in it. The sing-along version has been a great success and will continue to give it a bump, and we now have Christmas party bookings coming in from across the UK. One driver is the multiple viewings with people going back to see it again and again. It really is happening on a scale that we haven't seen before.

The feature-film adaptation of the musical which stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgård and Dominic Cooper.

The film was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman. Exec producers are Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Mark Huffam. The screenplay was written by Catherine Johnson with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.




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* Exchange rate is current and not representative of actual totals. (It's actually near $127m over the past 4 months)
** Mamma Mia is 4th in Spain
==============================================

Vairety: U.K. crowns 'Mamma' top local film

Musical chases 'Titanic' for all time record

LONDON — Feel-good tuner “Mamma Mia!” has become the biggest grossing Brit pic of all time at the U.K. box office.

The Meryl Streep starrer, which boasts a running cume of $109.1 million (£67 million), achieved the distinction by passing “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which took $107.6 million in the U.K.

The pic also has a very good shot at becoming the biggest grossing film of all time at U.K. wickets. It trails only James Cameron’s “Titanic,” which grossed $112.5 million.

Last weekend, the Abba musical dipped 40% to take $420,217 at 284 screens — good enough for ninth spot in the charts in its 16th session.

If it does not sink the “Titanic” on this run, future re-releases should do the trick.

This weekend, “Mamma Mia!” will have to play second fiddle to the opening of “Quantum of Solace,” which should dominate cinema biz.

“Mamma Mia!” world premiered in London June 30 and has never looked back, capturing the imagination of Brit auds. Boosted by strong reviews — “a guilty pleasure powerful enough to turn the stoniest heads,” said the Times — it opened boffo and has shown awesome traction ever since.

Maintained by strong word of mouth and, later in the run, the popularity of sing-a-long screenings, the musical has proved a positively whammo hit for Universal.

U.K. bookers attribute the sensational perf to the enduring popularity of all things Abba, auds’ appetite for feel-good fare (possibly to alleviate the misery of the depressing state of the economy), a strong maintaining campaign by Universal and the attractiveness of the British-Irish heavy cast, which includes Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters and fast-rising thesp Dominic Cooper.

[Ace]

The North American release date is December 16, 2008 for all versions. These are specs for the U.S. Reg 1 versions though Blu Ray is the same for all regions.

Single-disc DVD (either Fullscreen or Widescreen)

Sing-along
Deleted musical number ("The Name of the Game")
Director audio commentary.

Both the 2-disc Widescreen Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray disc contain a digital copy of the film (hence the 2nd disc).

Widescreen Special Edition

2.40:1 Widescreen Transfer
Deleted Musical Number: Name of the Game
The Making of MAMMA MIA!
Anatomy of a Musical Number 'Lay All Your Love On Me'
Becoming a Singer
An Look Inside MAMMA MIA!
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' Music Video
Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo
Feature Commentary with Director Phyllida Llloyd
Digital Copy (2nd disc)


2-disc Blu-ray disc contains all of the above (in HD) along with the following

2.40:1 Widescreen Transfer (1080p)
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, FrenchDTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1 Japanese DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English SDH, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
U-Control: Behind the Hits
U-Control: Picture in Picture
Exclusive to Blu-ray: BD Live Features

========================================================

The UK is still getting the DVD on November 24, 2008 though the Blu-Ray Dec 16th. They seem to have just a single disc version with the same extras as the U.S. 2 disc one. They also sell a gift set with a diary & pen.

Australia gets the standard DVD this coming Tuesday November 4, 2008... they get the Blu-ray version on December 3, 2008.

[greyowlette]

For lotsofluck and anyone else interested, the DVDs can now be preordered from Amazon.com
for $16.99 for the WS single disc version, $20.99 for the FS, $23.99 for the 2-disc, and $27.95 for the Blu-ray. I've already ordered mine as well as one for a birthday gift for a friend. I can't wait!

[Ace]

Oct 31- Nov 2 (Estimates)

Domestic: $143,700,000
+ Foreign: $414,800,000
= Worldwide: $558,500,000

Screen Daily

The phenomenal Mamma Mia! kept on marching on and overtook Kung Fu Panda's $413m mark to become the third biggest overseas release of the year-to-date behind Indiana Jones 4 and The Dark Knight as $3.4m from 2,700 venues in 46 territories raised the tally to $414.8m. Meryl Streep and friends added $240,000 in the UK from 177 locations for $128.8m (£67.3m). Already the biggest UK release in UK box office history, the musical is just £1.7m away from overtaking Titanic on £69m to become the biggest release of all time in the territory. The final major market to go is Japan on January 30 2009.


Variety: Mamma as of Oct. 28

“Mamma Mia!,” which had crossed $410 million in international grosses as of Oct. 28 — thanks largely to stunning holdover biz that emerged during the late summer and early fall. “Mamma” now ranks among the top 30 all-time grossers overseas, cementing its status as an icon of escapist entertainment.

“Mamma” has cumed $128.3 million in the U.K., or $15 million shy of its U.S. cume, and continues to pull in Brit coin, with $422,208 at 272 in its 15th weekend. It’s also the second-largest grosser in British history, trailing only “Titanic.”

The Meryl Streep vehicle also has been an impressive performer elsewhere, with $38.4 million in Germany, $29 million in Oz, $24.1 million in South Korea, $23.5 million in Sweden and $19.3 million in Spain. It will go into Japan, its final market, in January.

[Ace]

Birthing of Mamma Mia! Featurette (will most likely be on DVD)

MSN