Amanda Seyfried Didn’t Even Know What Lin-Manuel Miranda’s New Musical Film “Octet” Was, but She Said 'Yes' Anyway (Exclusive)

Lexi Lane, Jordan GreeneSun, April 26, 2026 at 4:30 PM UTC

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Amanda Seyfried; Lin-Manuel MirandaCredit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty; Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty -

Amanda Seyfried joined Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical film, Octet, even though she "didn't even know what it was exactly"

Octet explores digital-age dependency through a cappella performances and features a talented cast, including Rachel Zegler and Jonathan Groff

Seyfried, who previously starred in musicals like Mamma Mia!, told PEOPLE that working on Octet has been among the "best moments of my life"

Amanda Seyfried "didn't even know" what Lin-Manuel Miranda's new movie was — but she said "yes" immediately, simply to get the opportunity to work with him.

On April 16, Seyfried, 40, walked the red carpet at the 2026 Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Gala, where she chatted with PEOPLE exclusively about her next project: Miranda's musical film Octet.

"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.' "

Amanda Seyfried at the Tiffany Blue Book Gala in N.Y.C. on April 16, 2026Credit: Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty

"But it's a cappella, and I'm a born singer," she added. "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 is set to play Jessica in Octet, a film adaptation of a musical about dependency in the digital age. Her character, based on the original musical, was the first to share in her support group about being canceled online.

"Eight internet-obsessed people meet in a church basement and lock their phones in a box," an official synopsis reads. "With witty lyrics, shimmering harmonies and virtuosic solos, Octet sings of connection, redemption, hope— and how we can be truly present with each other."

"I was utterly gobsmacked by [Miranda's] work on Tick, Tick... Boom! and feel so honored to have such a beacon of the musical theater world bring this piece into a new life," Dave Malloy, who wrote the original musical, said in a statement on April 2. "As a brilliant storyteller, fellow internet junkie and dear friend, I know he's going to make something amazing. And our cast is completely ridiculous."

Lin-Manuel Miranda (left) and Jonathan Groff at the 2025 Tony AwardsCredit: Jenny Anderson/Getty

Seyfried is joined in Octet by a stacked cast of fellow performers, 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.”

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Since rehearsals for Octet kicked off — as revealed by Miranda in an April 14 Instagram post — Seyfried has developed a close bond with her fellow cast and crew.

"Every single person is wonderful and fun and wants to be there," she told PEOPLE at the Tiffany event. "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."

Octet is not Seyfried's first foray into the musical film genre. She previously starred as Sophie in 2008's Mamma Mia! and in the 2018 jukebox musical sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

"The girls in Octet were like, 'Can we be in it?' " the actress told PEOPLE about a possible Mamma Mia 3. "And I was like, 'Yeah.' 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's just like what we used to do as kids, like ribbon dancing in dance class. It'll happen. I know it's going to happen. If there's a need, you know."

Most recently, Seyfried played the title character in The Testament of Ann Lee, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.

Amanda Seyfried in 'The Testament of Ann Lee' (2025)Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

"It's incredibly hard to channel that kind of grief when that is your biggest fear, for sure," she previously told PEOPLE of the role at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.

"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," Seyfried added. "So if you're going to show that graphically, you have to go all the way with it."

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Octet does not yet have a release date.

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