Amanda Seyfried Joins Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Octet' Without Hesitation

Speaking to People in an interview, Seyfried said her decision was immediate despite limited details about the film.

"I didn't even know what it was exactly," she said. "I just knew that Lin-Manuel Miranda was making a new project and he was directing a new movie, and it was a musical. ... I did meet with him. I mean, I'd met him before, you know, around town, but I met with him specifically for this project. I was like, 'I don't care what it is. I'm in.' And he said, 'Let me just explain it to you.' "

She added that once she understood the concept, she felt even more connected to it. "But it's a cappella, and I'm a born singer. It's what I love to do. It's what makes me happy, and to do it for work is absolutely better than I could have ever hoped, so I'm in it right now. We're in it right now, and some of the best moments of my life have just happened this week."

Seyfried will play Jessica in Octet, a musical film adaptation centered on dependency in the digital age. According to the official synopsis, "Eight internet-obsessed people meet in a church basement and lock their phones in a box," with the story exploring "connection, redemption, hope--and how we can be truly present with each other," according to People.

Seyfried is joined by a star-studded cast including Rachel Zegler, Jonathan Groff, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Phillipa Soo, Gaten Matarazzo, Tramell Tillman and Paul-Jordan Jansen.

"I haven't stopped thinking about Octet since I saw Annie Tippe's premiere production in November of 2019," Miranda, 46, said in a statement. "Dave Malloy's score is versatile and brilliant, and it grows more relevant with each passing year. It won't leave me alone, so here we are," according to People.

Speaking about the set atmosphere, Seyfried said, "Every single person is wonderful and fun and wants to be there. And when you have a group of people who just really love what they do and wanna be there no matter where they're from or what they do or how old they are, it doesn't matter. It's just like we're all in the same place, breathing the same air and loving the same music with Lin, and it's great," according to People.

The actor, who is known for her roles in Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, also hinted at enthusiasm for a possible third instalment in the franchise, saying, "The girls in Octet were like, 'Can we be in it?' ... It's great, actually. One of them had an idea for us to dance with ribbons, and I thought, 'That's what it's missing.' It'll happen. I know it's going to happen. If there's a need, you know."

Seyfried was recently seen in The Testament of Ann Lee, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Speaking about the role, she said, "It's incredibly hard to channel that kind of grief when that is your biggest fear, for sure."

"But what I did, what I think really helped ... is that I was honoring everybody who had lost and honoring that grief which made Ann, then brought her to her knees. So if you're going to show that graphically, you have to go all the way with it," she added, according to People.

'Octet' does not yet have a release date.

- ANI