Emily Blunt is taking on a new role: Mary Poppins. The British actress is stepping into big shoes by tackling the role made famous to generations of fans by Julie Andrews but based on the first image of her from the forthcoming movie, this is looking promising.
The film Blunt will star in is not a remake of the original Mary Poppins, but a sequel titled Mary Poppins Returns. In a photo premiered on Entertainment Weekly, we see she's wearing that stunning blue coat and carrying her bottomless carpet bag in which we know Mary Poppins keeps no end of goodies. Based on her shoe choice and that lovely, broad rimmed hat, your bets that the set for this Poppins is in circa turn of the century London are likely to win the office pool. Disney announced that the screenplay will show Poppins with a now grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children. Poppins reunites with the Banks family after a personal loss (hmmm the death of their father perhaps?).
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Blunt previously revealed that we can expect her Mary Poppins to be a little bit "meaner" rather than offering up a spoon full of sugar. Maybe the loss she experiences is what motivates that change.
Lin-Manuel Miranda will join Blunt in the film, playing a newly created character — a street lamp lighter named Jack. Yup, sounds very Victorian to us.
The movie will also have an original soundtrack (not written by Miranda, sorry), so prepare for a new slew of Mary Poppins songs to join the children's music cannon.
Mary Poppins Returns heads to theaters on December 25, 2018. Get a first look at Blunt as the iconic character below.