Dame Julie Walters is convinced ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ is better than the original.
The 68-year-old actress – who features among a star-studded cast in the much-anticipated new musical comedy – initially harboured fears about making another ‘Mamma Mia!’ movie, but she’s now thrilled that she committed herself to the project.
She told Good Housekeeping magazine: "My first reaction when my agent told me they were making ‘Mamma Mia 2’ was, ‘Oh God no, it is going to be awful.’
"But the script was so good. I think it’s fantastic. It’s better than the first one."
The original movie, which was released in 2008, starred the likes of Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard.
The new film also stars Cher, but Julie has refused to reveal too many plot details.
She said: "Cher sings a song at the end which makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck."
Meanwhile, Pierce – who plays the part of Sam Carmichael in ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ – recently claimed that his good looks have stopped him getting some film roles.
He said: "I was extremely lucky to be born with this face.
"I was about seven when I won a comb in a lucky dip and that was my introduction to Brylcreem. I work hard at keeping it – I train and work out pretty much every day – but even when I was a kid I knew there had to be something going on behind the looks.
"I’ve also been told I’m too tall, too dark and too handsome for a lot of the parts I really wanted to do, like ‘Angela’s Ashes’. But, hey, who is ever going to complain about being told they are too good-looking?"