Mamma Mia ! It’s Streep

When a $1 billion grossing musical decides to upgrade and hit the big screen, it needs to make sure that the names that scroll up at the end are big ones too. Right ?

Well the makers of Mamma Mia have taken the best step first and confirmed that Meryl Streep will be a part of the musical.

For the actress who made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy Of Seville and her screen debut came in 1977's made-for-television movie The Deadliest Season, this will be her first musical in an impressive career spanning over 35 years.

Streep will play a rebellious single mother who raises her daughter on a Greek island. The daughter who has never been told about her father tracks down three men and decides to invite them for her marriage.

The musical has some of ABBA’s biggest hits including, "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All.” In all it features 22 of the group’s songs and has been created by, Judy Craymer and Catherine Johnson. Johnson has also penned the screenplay of the movie. ABBA’s members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are amongst the executive producers. The movie will begin filming in London and Greece this summer.

Phyllida Lloyd will make her directorial debut with the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical by the same name. The movie will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Despite all this, the headlining act will be by Meryl Streep, whose recent portrayal of a shrewd business woman in ‘Devil Wears Prada’ has won her the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations. The movie was a box office hit. Let’s hope Mamma Mia heads the same way.

Streep will also be flexing her vocal chords for the movie, though not her first time. She has shown her prowess with her singing in, "A Prairie Home Companion," "Postcards From the Edge" and "Death Becomes Her." So, if you missed that earlier you have a chance to catch up again.

Meryl has been having a great time and be prepared to see more of her in the coming months, on the big screen. "Rendition," a political thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon has recently finished filming. She has also signed up for the all-star cast of "Lions for Lambs," in which she will act alongside Tom Cruise and Robert Redford.

Lets hope that the big screen adaptation lives up to the success of the Broadway version of the musical. With Streep in the team it should definitely be heading that way.