Amanda Seyfried is not letting go of her hopes for a third Mamma Mia! film and says she’s more motivated than ever to see it happen. 

Speaking with PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of The Testament of Ann Lee on Dec. 14, the actress made it clear she’s ready to keep pushing for Mamma Mia 3, especially if it allows her beloved character Sophie to step into a new phase of life.

When asked what Sophie’s future might look like if the franchise returns, Seyfried immediately imagined motherhood. 

“Oh, with kids. I mean, I love being a mother,” the 40-year-old said, drawing a parallel between her own life and Sophie’s journey. 

“I love playing a mother, and I would love to dive into the curiosities of motherhood and raising children on a Greek island, just like Donna did with Sophie.” 

Meryl Streep famously played Donna, Sophie’s free-spirited mother, in the original 2008 musical.

Seyfried believes that exploring Sophie as a parent could open up fresh emotional ground for the story. 

“I think that would be really interesting,” she said, adding that while she doesn’t know exactly where the plot would go, she’s confident the heart of the franchise would remain the same. 

“I have no idea where the story is going to go, but I know there’s going to be a lot of singing and dancing.”

Her enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. Seyfried made it clear she’s not quietly waiting on the sidelines. 

“I’m going to keep campaigning for that movie until I’m blue in the face,” she said, emphasizing just how committed she is to seeing the third installment made.

There is reason for optimism. 

Producer Judy Craymer has confirmed that a script for Mamma Mia 3 has already been completed and that the film remains in development as a follow-up to 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. 

“Well, we know what we want to do with the movie, and it will happen,” Craymer told Deadline in May, while also discussing the possibility of Sabrina Carpenter joining the cast alongside Seyfried and Streep.

Off screen, Seyfried brings real-life experience to the idea of motherhood.

She shares daughter Nina, 8, and son Thomas, 5, with her husband, actor Thomas Sadoski. 

The couple got engaged in 2016, eloped the following year, and now live with their children on a farm in upstate New York. 

For Seyfried, both on screen and off, motherhood seems like a story she’s more than ready to keep telling.