Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses of all time and is known for her nuanced performances in films like Sophie’s Choice, The Post, and Kramer Vs. Kramer. The actress has garnered a record 21 Oscar nominations for her acting and has won the award thrice.
One of Streep’s most recognized works is her musical hit Mamma Mia! The film, which also starred Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan, was released in 2008 to amazing critical reviews. The musical also had an unlikely competition in the form of Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight, which turned out to be a game-changer for the superhero genre.
Meryl Streep’s Mamma Mia! Stood Strong Against The Dark Knight
Barbenheimer will be celebrating its first anniversary in a few days, commemorating what turned out to be one of the most groundbreaking memes in Internet history. The clash of Greta Gerwig’s ultra colorful and ‘chick flick’-y Barbie with Christopher Nolan’s somber biopic on the father of the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer was legendary. Cinema won that week.
However, it was not the first time Nolan’s dark and gritty film clashed with a bright and colorful comedy. Arguably the best Batman film to date, The Dark Knight clashed with Meryl Streep’s Mamma Mia! on July 18, 2008. Both films were commercial successes, with Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight earning over $1 billion (via Box Office Mojo).
Meryl Streep’s musical comedy Mamma Mia! too did not fall behind the geeks and action lovers as the film earned a whopping $690 million at the box office. In more ways than one, this was the original Barbenheimer, or as GQ called it, ‘The Dark Mamma’.
Not much of the clash of 2008 was reported or mentioned as the meme culture was not as advanced as it is now. While Christian Bale returned as Batman only four years later with The Dark Knight Rises, Meryl Streep’s musical took a decade for a sequel.
‘The Dark Mamma’ Reportedly Had Many Similarities With Barbenheimer
The Barbenheimer phenomenon seemed to be a once-in-a-lifetime pop cultural moment that had a lasting impact on the theatrical and exhibition industries. The films were both extremely successful, with Barbie taking the top spot at the box office and creating history while Oppenheimer also earned over $976 million and won Best Picture.
However, the 2008 clash of The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! too reportedly had similar box office successes and audiences attending double features. An article on Inverse reported that despite Christian Bale’s sophomore outing as Batman being the clear winner, Meryl Streep’s ABBA-infused musical also stood its ground. A theater usher at the time reportedly recounted,
I definitely remember people going to see both. It was one of those instances of the mom and the daughter are going to see Mamma Mia! while the dad and the sons are going to see Batman…It’s so nice getting to hand someone their ticket and tell them, ‘Enjoy your movie,’ and actually mean it.
While the clash was not as well-covered as Barbenheimer, ‘The Dark Mamma’ was reportedly analyzed by Vulture at the time as the battle for ‘America’s Soul’. The publication reportedly also mentioned the winner of the clash would prove what the nation was in the mood for: a bright musical or a dark and brooding anti-hero odyssey.
Both The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! Are available to stream on Max.
