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Mama (2013 film)

Mama is a 2013 supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti in his feature directorial debut.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Mama is a 2013 supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti in his feature directorial debut. It is based on his 2008 short film Mamá and follows two girls who are found after years of living in the wilderness under the care of an unknown entity called "Mama". The film was a Spain-Canada co-production and became a box-office success.

Premise

Mama follows two young girls who were abandoned in a forest cabin and raised by an unknown entity they call Mama. After they are taken in by relatives, the supernatural presence seems to follow them into their new home.

Production

The film was directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti and developed from his 2008 short film Mamá. J. Miles Dale produced the feature, and Guillermo del Toro served as executive producer.

Release and reception

Mama was released by Universal Pictures on 18 January 2013. It received generally positive reviews, though some criticism focused on the story, and it earned about $148 million worldwide on a $15 million budget.

Key facts

  • Mama is Andy Muschietti’s feature directorial debut and was co-written with Barbara Muschietti.
  • The film is based on the 2008 short film Mamá and features an executive producer credit for Guillermo del Toro.
  • The story centres on two sisters who are found after years in the wilderness and appear to be followed by a supernatural presence.
  • Mama was released on 18 January 2013 and received generally positive reviews.
  • It earned about $148 million worldwide against a reported $15 million budget.
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Canadian context

Mama is relevant to Canadian readers because it was a Spain-Canada co-production and was released in Canada as an English-language mainstream horror film.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mama (2013 film)?
Mama is a supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti and released in 2013.
What is the film based on?
It is based on Muschietti’s 2008 short film Mamá.
Who stars in Mama?
The cast includes Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash, and Javier Botet.
When was Mama released?
It was released theatrically on 18 January 2013.
Was Mama financially successful?
Yes. It grossed about $148 million worldwide against a reported $15 million budget.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_(2013_film)
    Supports: Release date, plot, director, cast, production countries, box office, source film, and production credits
  2. Wikipédia — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_(film)
    Supports: Canadian-Spanish production, genre, runtime, release year, and remake of the short film
  3. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mama-2013-film
    Supports: Film identification and general description
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2023587/
    Supports: Premise and principal cast