MERYL STREEP - STREEP TO STAR IN FILM VERSION OF MAMMA MIA!

LATEST: Academy Award winner MERYL STREEP is putting her vocal talents to the test in the Hollywood adaptation of ABBA musical MAMMA MIA! THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA star, 57, is set to play DONNA, whose daughter SOPHIE is due to be married when she embarks on a journey to discover the identity of her father. It will be Streep's first musical. The film's producer, JUDY CRAYMER, says, "(Streep) was always at the top of our wish list. "She encapsulates the spirit and energy and has the powerhouse qualities that character requires." The movie features ABBA songwriters BJORN ULVAEUS and BENNY ANDERSON as executive producers, while the picture will be produced by TOM HANKS' production company Playtone. Mamma Mia! will begin shooting later this year (07) in London and Greece, and reports suggest the film's release will coincide with the musical's 10th anniversary in 2009.