Five decades after Mary Poppins first captivated movie-goers, P.L. Travers’ magical nanny is set to return in a new sequel from Disney.
Disney has set a December 25th, 2018 release for Mary Poppins Returns. Emily Blunt will have the tall task of following Julie Andrews in playing the film’s titular character. Hamilton mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda will co-star as Jack, a role likened to Dick van Dyke’s role in the first film.
Marry Poppins Returns serves as a direct sequel to the 1964 film, which won five Academy Awards and was recently selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry. Now adults, “Jane and Michael Banks have experienced a personal loss that results in the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins,” says The Hollywood Reporter of the film’s plot. “She teams up with her lamplighter friend Jack to help the family.”
Rob Marshall, whose 2002 musical Chicago won the Academy Award for Best Picture, has been hired to direct Mary Poppins Returns. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, of Hairspray fame, will pen original music for the film.
