Over fifty years ago, Mary Poppins flew away from our cinema screens on her trademark umbrella. Since then, the film has become a Disney classic, still pulling in audiences all of this time later. Naturally, then, Mary Poppins is the next target for Disney‘s recent trend of reboots and belated sequels.
David Magee has written the script, based on the novels of P.L. Travers. As well as this, the film is getting an entirely new song sheet. Songwriter Marc Shaiman will be composing with Scott Wittman working on the new material, as well.
According to Variety, Mary Poppins Returns will be sweeping away the more nostalgic scenes of the first film, in favour of a Depression-era London – when the books were originally conceived. The plot follows an older Jane and Michael Banks, with Michael now the father of three children. After suffering a personal loss, the family are once again visited by the mysterious Mary Poppins. Through her magic and the aid of her friend Jack, Mary helps the family rediscover the wonder and happiness that were missing from their lives.
With Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel-Miranda confirmed, Academy Award winner Meryl Streep is also in negotiations to join the cast of the classic’s sequel. The film would bring Streep back together with director Rob Marshall and producers Marc Platt and John DeLuca, who worked together on Disney‘s recent musical adaption of Into the Woods.
This would also be the third film that both Blunt and Streep have appeared together in. The pair also starred in Into the Woods together, as well as The Devil Wears Prada.
Should Disney try something new with this much-loved classic? Will the film work without Dick Van Dyke’s unconvincing cockney accent? Will it impress audiences as much as Disney‘s other reimagined classics?
We’ll find out when Mary Poppins Returns to cinemas on December 25th, 2018.
Image via Variety
