“If I didn’t get ABBA, I was not going to make the movie.”
Nobody ever believes P.J.
Hogan when he talks about ABBA.
Credit: Ronald Grant/Courtesy Everett Collection
Now, at that point ABBA were not the ABBA we know today.
They were considered an embarrassing band.
The Australian word is naffno one ever admitted to being an ABBA fan.
And then they saw the movie and theyd been lied to, Hogan continues.
So you’re free to imagine what they thought.
In the fallout, the duo issued a blanket no to filmmakers.
Hogan was persistent, adamant thatMuriels Weddingcould not be made without their music.
His final plan: To fly to Stockholm and smoke them out.
Its a hymn to ABBA!
Muriel loves ABBA, and I love ABBA.
…They did not want this crazy person hanging outside their office!
Hogan laughs about his audacious plan in hindsight, but it worked.
They gave me the rightsfor nothing.
Dancing Queen, Fernando, Mamma Mia!, Waterloothe entire songs, for nothing!
And they gave us original mix tapes, with vocals split off from the instrumentals, Hogan says.
And that ended up being a very smart move.
Hogan beams about the effect.
I think it helped ABBA, and the film would not beMuriels Weddingwithout them.
Of course,Mamma Mia!ended all of that.
It remains one of Hogans, Collettes and Griffiths favorite scenes.
I remember that white jumpsuit!
I looked like a little dumpling.
It was like all jazz hands and Mardi Gras.
It was such a jubilant moment.
One in particular stands out to both Griffiths and Hogan.
That just made me laugh out loud on set, and thats in the film.
That happened in the moment, and Im just thankful Rachel didnt break up when it was happening.
