Like it or lump it, cinema’s most endearing nanny is set for a return in the latter stages of 2018, and though that release date for Mary Poppins Returns is still a ways away, that hasn’t prevented Disney from scooping up top-tier talent.
Chief among them is Edge of Tomorrow and Sicario actress Emily Blunt, who is on board to headline the long-rumored sequel as the magical caretaker opposite Broadway stalwart Lin-Manuel Miranda. With Rob Marshall already behind the lens, Variety has now revealed that the illustrious Meryl Streep is all but set to re-team with her Into the Woods director pending final negotiations.
In line to play the role of Poppins’ cousin, Topsy, Streep’s character wasn’t actually a part of Disney’s 1964 classic, though did feature fairly prominent throughout P.L. Travers’ novel series. That’s pretty reassuring, too, in the sense that Marshall and Co. are consciously creating an entirely new tale set against Depression-era London, as opposed to a simple remake.
As such, in this new interpretation, “the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack (Miranda), she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.”
Whether it can channel the super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious zing that ensured the original went on to become a cult classic is up for question. All we know for sure is that Mary Poppins Returns on December 25, 2018 regardless of whether you’ve been naughty or nice.