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Mamma Mia! Drowns Titanic's UK Take

Money, Money, Money at UK box office

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 17, 2008 9:40 AM CST

(Newser) – The movie version of the fluffy romantic musical Mamma Mia! has become Britain's biggest box office hit of all time, E! Online reports. The Meryl Streep flick, based on the tunes of the '70s Swedish pop group ABBA, earned $107.7 million in 22 weeks in theaters, sailing beyond the 1997 epic Titanic. A studio exec said the movie’s “pure escapism” appeals to audiences who want to forget about the bleak economy.

[Images (3)]

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Meryl Streep in a scene from "Mamma Mia!" The movie has been nominated for two Golden Globes and has beaten "Titanic" as the biggest grossing movie in the UK. (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Peter Mountain)

Meryl Streep at a screening of "Mamma Mia!" The movie has been nominated for two Golden Globes and has beaten "Titanic" as the biggest grossing movie in the UK. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski in a scene from "Mamma Mia!" The movie has beaten "Titanic" as the biggest grossing movie in the UK. (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Peter Mountain)

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Mamma Mia! Drowns Titanic's UK Take