As Whoopi Goldberg gears up for the highly anticipated Sister Act 3, one beloved character will be notably absent — Mother Superior, portrayed by the late Maggie Smith. Goldberg recently shared an update on the project, confirming that the film is still in the works, though adjustments are being made to account for Smith’s death.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Goldberg acknowledged the impact of Smith’s passing on the production. “We’re having to make some readjustments because we just lost Maggie Smith, as you know,” Goldberg explained. “And so, we will get it done. We will get it done. It just is a shift.”
Smith passed away at the age of 89 in September. Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, confirmed her death, noting that she “passed away peacefully in hospital” surrounded by family and friends.
Smith’s portrayal of Mother Superior was a key role in both Sister Act (1992) and its sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). In the films, she starred alongside Goldberg, who played Deloris Van Cartier, a Vegas performer who enters witness protection as a nun after witnessing a mob hit. Deloris helps the convent sisters revive their struggling choir and later returns in the sequel to teach music to a group of young misfits, including Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Alanna Ubach.
After years of speculation, Disney officially announced the third installment of the Sister Act franchise in 2021, with Tim Federle directing and Madhuri Shekar penning the script. Goldberg will reprise her role as Deloris and also serve as a producer alongside Tyler Perry and Tom Leonardis.
Goldberg had previously teased the possibility of a cameo appearance by Fallon in the threequel during a 2022 interview, at which time she revealed that the script for the film had already been completed.
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