Here’s Your First Look at Emily Blunt in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’
Mary Poppins has landed.
Today Disney released the first official photo of Emily Blunt as the titular beloved nanny in their upcoming Mary Poppins Returns via Entertainment Weekly. We don’t get a look at her face, but we do get to see The Girl on the Train actress donning a stripped blue and purple dress, a slanted pink hat, and a gorgeously patterned bag (where can I get one of those?). She looks very Mary Poppins, or as own own Britt Hayes describes, like a British Carmen Sandiego.
This is the latest news we’ve heard on Mary Poppins sequel since the studio announced Angela Lansbury will play a balloon vendor known as the Balloon Lady (I cannot wait for this) in the film last month. Blunt will portray the character originally brought to life by Julie Andrews in the 1964 musical classic alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will play lamp-lighter Jack. Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw will play the adult versions of Jane and Michael Banks, Colin Firth will play banker William Weatherall Wilkins, Julie Walters is the housekeeper Ellen, and Meryl Streep will be Poppins’ cousin Topsy. Dick Van Dyke will also appear in a small role.
The film takes place roughly two decades after the original film, set during the Depression era in London. That sounds very, uh, depressing, which is exactly why Mary Poppins does what the title promises: returns! Here’s the full synopsis:
Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep).
Mary Poppins Returns will be directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee. The film hits theaters Christmas Day 2018.