Filming is underway for Disney’s Mary Poppins sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, which sees Emily Blunt in the titular role as everyone’s favorite nanny. Based on P.L. Travers other seven novels about Mary Poppins, the movie picks up a little over 20 years after the events of the original 1964 Mary Poppins movie. Jane and Michael Banks are now adults, with children of their own, and still in need of some guidance, it seems.

Finally, amid all the excitement of filming taking place on the Mary Poppins sequel, our first look at Blunt in her character costume has arrived. It doesn’t give much away, and we’ve yet to see her face other than in profile, but it’s magical nonetheless.

Take a look at the first Mary Poppins Returns image below, via Disney:

Blunt is a practically perfect casting choice, and Mary Poppins Returns will see her reunited with director Rob Marshall, who also helmed Into the Woods. Rounding out the cast is a string of A-list names, all of whom sound very well matched for their respective roles. Broadway darling, Lin-Manuel Miranda plays opposite Blunt as lamp-lighter Jack, with Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw as the adult Jane and Michael. Meryl Streep will also be reunited with Marshall when she plays Topsy, Mary Poppins’ cousin. Julie Walters is the Banks’ housekeeper, while Colin Firth plays banker William Wetherall Wenkins. Best of all, though, is the inclusion of Disney legends Angela Lansbury as a balloon seller, and Dick Van Dyke, as Mr. Dawes Jr., son of banking partner Mr. Dawes, whom Van Dyke also played in the original movie.

Mary Poppins Returns is set in depression-era London, and since Mary Poppins only visits families in need, someone must be lacking in some guidance. In this instance, it is Michael Banks, who has suffered a personal loss and is struggling to connect with his own children. It seems his former nanny might need to remind him of a life-lesson or two, and hopefully she can restore a little magic and happiness along the way, too.

Though the picture above isn’t much to go on, it looks as though Disney have kept Mary Poppins’ costume very close to the original worn by Julie Andrews, but with a few tweaks; notably the brighter colors. The hat remains, as does the style of the coat, but  this time around it’s a bright peacock blue, which wonderfully suits Mary Poppins’ magical eccentricity. The nanny’s carpet bag has also has a bright and colorful revamp, but hopefully it’ll still hold the plethora of random objects inside.

Mary Poppins Returns will be a musical, just as its predecessor was, with a screenplay by David Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland). Though news of the sequel was initially met with some trepidation, casting announcements and plot details released so far have pretty much ensured that we’re all onboard and pretty excited for the movie’s release - even if that isn’t until the end of 2018.

Source: Disney

  • Mary Poppins 2 Release Date: 2018-12-19