How Brit + Co Is Celebrating International Women’s Day and the Women’s Strike

Though the Democratic Party pulled its sponsorship of the 2019 Women’s March following accusations of anti-Semitism directed at march leadership, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seized the opportunity of New York City’s “Women’s Unity Rally” to make her message heard. To a rapt audience at the city’s civic landmark, Foley Square, Ocasio-Cortez delivered an energetic speech that touched on many of the issues the Congresswoman holds dear, like economic equality and climate justice.

Throughout her address, Ocasio-Cortez reiterated that the fight for progress must be inclusive, one where there’s space for everyone at the table. It wasn’t a particularly new or even stand-out sentiment from the 29-year-old Democratic Socialist. But, given the nature of the controversy plaguing this year’s rallies, the message seemed — if inadvertently — a pointed warning against identity-driven schisms within a movement that ostensibly wants the same things.

'Oftentimes the most righteous thing you can do is shake the table.' — Watch @AOC's inspiring Women's March speech #WomensWave#WomensMarch2019pic.twitter.com/vqG63QMnqs

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 19, 2019

“It is so incredibly important to uplift all of our voices. And to make sure the least among us advocated the most. That means we will not be quiet when it comes to the rights of Black women. That means we will not be quiet when it comes to the rights of trans women. That means we will not be quiet when it comes to the rights of poor women. And middle-class women. And working-class women. And all women in the United States and in the world,” she said.

“Last year we brought the power to the polls and this year we need to make sure that we translate that power into policy,” she also said, and highlighted the Equal Rights Amendment (which is currently undergoing ratification proceedings in the state of Virginia), equal pay across gender identities, and paid parental leave as priorities.

The Women’s Unity Rally, hosted by Women’s March NYC, was one of two competing women’s marches held in New York City on Saturday, January 19. The other was hosted by the Women’s March Alliance, a group unaffiliated with the national Women’s March organization and whose rally was the first to be organized in New York City. Efforts by Women’s March national leaders to merge the two events, last October, were unwelcomed by Alliance head Katherine Siemionko.

Debates over inclusive representation, and the role of visibly marginalized leaders in directing the future of the women’s movement, remain at the heart of this division. The inaugural 2017 rally was criticized as “too white,” which prompted a reorganization of Women’s March national leadership.

More recently, the group’s co-president Tamika Mallory has been called out for her affiliation with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a virulent anti-Semite. Though the Women’s March has released multiple statements denouncing anti-Semitism, Mallory has not publicly spoken out against Farrakhan.

Despite the controversy, which prompted a number of local march organizers to call off their respective satellite rallies, some 350 cities around the world took part. Even still, protesters across the country reported significantly smaller turnouts than in the two previous Women’s March protests.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Our favorite dancing queens (Meryl Streep included) might be returning to the big screen for a third encore of Mamma Mia! and we’re already rewatching the first two movie musicals in preparation.

In an interview with Deadline in May of 2023, Mamma Mia! franchise creator and producer Judy Craymer said a third movie musical is in "earliest stages." She also shared that she has come up with a way to bring Meryl Streep back again.

"I don't want to over-egg it," she said of the unofficial news, "but I know there's a trilogy there…and I do think Meryl should come back, and if the script is right, she would, I think, because she really loved playing Donna."

"Of course I want to do it," Streep said during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival (via Deadline). Sounds promising to us!

Is Mamma Mia 3 happening?

Universal Pictures

Yes, Mamma Mia 3 is in its early planning stages! Christine Baranski just told The Hollywood Reporter that she's met with producer Judy Kramer, and that Kramer has plans for the third movie. "She gave me the narrative plotline of how it’s going to happen," Baranski says. "That’s all I can say! But, it’s not like, 'Oh, I wish it could happen!' Judy Kramer makes things happen. She made number two happen, and it was a phenomenal hit. I wouldn’t put it past Judy Kramer to get everybody back together."

Universal Pictures

A third installation was first mentioned way back in 2020, during a Collider interview with Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried. Seyfried said she was on board — and at the time, she thought the rest of the star-studded cast would be too.

"Listen, every single person in that movie would say yes in a heartbeat because we want to hang out with each other," Seyfried told Collider at the time. "That's what we talked about last time, like did we ever think that we'd end up here again on an Island in Croatia?"

When will Mamma Mia 3 come out?

Universal Pictures

We don't have an official answer about when to expect this highly anticipated sequel. The project is in the "earliest stages," according to creator and producer, Judy Craymer. Cher also revealed to Entertainment Weekly that everyone is "talking about it," but she doesn't "know when they're going to do it."

Has casting information been shared about Mamma Mia 3?

Jonathan Prime/Universal Studios

While nothing's been made official, Amanda Seyfried just said something that made my heart skip a beat. She told ABC News she loves Sabrina Carpenter's music and dropped this admission: "If Sabrina Carpenter wants to play my daughter, I’ll make it happen."

But before she admitted that, the actress said something else that made me raise my eyebrows. "Everybody says it’s gonna happen, but I mean, I haven’t seen a script."

Cher is also eager to return to the beloved franchise and is rooting for Meryl to make an appearance again. "I keep saying, 'Meryl, you've got to come back,'" she said (via Entertainment Weekly). She also said she's told her, "'It'll be fun. You'll have a good time. You'll be able to sing.'"

I don't know what it'll take, but hope someone gets a script in Amanda Seyfried, Cher, and Meryl Streep's hands ASAP!

What is the first Mamma Mia about?

Universal Pictures

The first film follows Donna (Streep) and Sophie (Seyfried) as mother and daughter living on a remote Greek island. When Sophie is about to marry Sky (Dominic Cooper), she sets out to learn who her real father is after discovering it could be one of three men (played by Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Colin Firth).

Who does the second Mamma Mia follow?

Universal Pictures / NBCUniversal

Mamma Mia 2takes viewers back to 1979, where young Donna (Lily James) embarks on a series of adventures throughout Europe following her Oxford University graduation. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam – the latter whom she falls in love with. In the present day, pregnant Sophie dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on a Greek island island.

TBH, we’re pretty happy that Mamma Mia! is far from over, and we can’t wait to see what the franchise has in store for us next. Stay updated on all the latest entertainment news with Brit + Co.

This post has been updated.