There's a word to describe this new movie coming out in December, but it may be a tad over-used. It could be very "Super..." if you catch my drift. The Walt Disney company announced on Tuesday that the sequel to the well-known and loved Mary Poppins movie will be released to theaters on Christmas Day. The title of the sequel is Mary Poppins Returns.
Musical star and British actress Emily Blunt(of Into the Woods fame) will reprise Julie Andrews' role as the magical nanny who helps children in need. The casting director, whoever they are, seems to have made a great choice, as there is a nice resemblance between Julie Andrews and Emily.
And then there is Lin-Manuel Miranda. He is quite the popular one amongst fans of the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton. He will play a street lamplighter named Jack. Will this character have a Bert/Dick Van Dyke feel to him?
Rob Marshall, who worked alongside Blunt in Into the Woods as director, will be joining her again as the director of this Mary Poppins sequel. Marshall is known not only for his directing films such as Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, he's also known for his choregraphy, and has had some Tony nominations for the choreography in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, and Cabaret.
Joining him on the team for this sequel will be producers John DeLuca and Marc Platt.
In a Disney press release, Marshall said, "I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers' further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation."
This new story will take place in Depression- Era London. Jane and Michael Banks are now grown and Michael has three children. Mary Poppins will be coming to the rescue once again after a tragedy in the family leaves them numb and joyless.
People may question a sequel to the classic original, but Mary Poppins' stories didn't stop in the original 1934 book that was made into a movie by Disney in 1964. Written by P. L. Travers, seven additional books were written about Mary, and were published between 1935 and 1988.
Disney isn't going to stop with their sequels, though. Recently confirmed sequels to Jungle Book and Maleficent will be in the works, and a spin-off to 101 Dalmations - Cruella will also be happening.
Are you ready for a sequel to this Disney classic?
