Chances are if they have a beloved classic film, Disney will be remaking it over the next few years. The Mouse House is currently going through a phase of revitalizing all of their greatest hits, to massive success. One such hit that fans can expect to see rolling back into theaters in the next two years or so is a sequel to an absolute classic from the Disney Vault: Mary Poppins. The sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, continues the Disney trend of great casting, with Emily Blunt set to play the titular magical nanny. Check out the first look of Blunt as Mary Poppins, returning to a location fans might find familiar.
Though her face is obscured, make no mistake -- that's Emily Blunt. Disney has unveiled the first look of Blunt as the classic character, and it checks out in our book. It seems Mary Poppins hasn't changed her look all that much in the 20 or so in-continuity years between the original and the sequel. She still rocks her flowered bird caps, but this time she's got some bolder colors going for her, which really pop in the image. It's at the same time indicative and distinctive from Julie Andrew's original version. She's also got her magical handbag, which has gone through a more substantial makeover then Mary has. There's no sight of her sassy talking umbrella, which is hopefully back and even sassier than ever.
It looks like Mary Poppins is right back on the doorstep of 17 Cherry Tree Lane, the location of the Banks homestead where Mary looked after Jane and Michael. Mary Poppins Returns takes place 20 years after the events of the original 1964 film, and is set during Depression-era London (1930's to be precise). Jane and Michael Banks are all grown up, but are still in need of some Poppins-induced happiness after Michael and his children go through a tragic loss. The sequel will draw from unused elements from the rest of P.L. Travers original Mary Poppins novels, such as other magical characters and plot points.
Mary Poppins Returns is bolstered by a very exciting cast, each with names sillier than the last. We've got superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack, a musical lamplighter (did they rap in the thirties? They better have); Meryl Streep as Mary's cousin Topsy; Colin Firth as a banker named William Weatherall Wilkins; Julie Waters as an assumedly unmagical housekeeper Ellen; and Angela Lansbury as a maniacal balloon vendor known only as Balloon Lady.
Mary Poppins Returns is directed by Rob Marshall, with new music composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Said music will be produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, and Marc Platt, who last worked on La La Land. Mary Poppins Returns is scheduled to land in theaters on December 25, 2018.
