Mary Poppins Returns

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, yes, please! Blunt/Streep/Wishaw would be a wonderful cast!

[UmbrellaFish]

I like Ben Whishaw, but I'm not sure he's appropriate for the role of Michael. I think Michael, even a grown up Michael, would have retained a sort of rough and wily rambunctiousness whereas Whishaw is sort of Byronic. Is there something I should see to convince me otherwise? Of course, this Michael will be facing the Great Depression, which of course, would make a person world weary, but it makes me fear we're entering old Disney cheapquel territory: the same old story, but with your favorite characters becoming their parents.

As for the other news I've been silent on: Meryl Streep is a goddess, and I assume she's filling in as this movie's Uncle Albert. If she passes on the project, I recommend Jennifer Saunders, who we ought to see more often in American cinemas, anyway.

Of course, I want to see Julie and Dick in this movie, but it has to be done tastefully. Julie Andrews is Mary Poppins, she won an Oscar for this role. She can't be brushed aside as some smiling flower lady or something-- I will be pissed if she cameos as some incarnation of Eliza Doolittle or Maria Von Trapp. Her cameo must be Poppins-esque, a character who is austere and rigid, but with underlying compassion, who can give a knowing nod to Blunt's Poppins and then go about her day. As for Dick, no reason he can't still be a screever or sweep since Lin-Manuel will be playing a totally different character.

Speaking of Miranda, if I could give him any advice it would be, don't worry about the accent, just be charming.

I know I have a lot of demands, but I'll be the first in the theatre in 2018(?), and really do hope I love it.

[Sotiris]

It was rumored that Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews could be making a return for the Mary Poppins reboot, but it's not looking good.

In an interview with The Mirror, Dick spoke of the reports saying, "I'd have to see the script." He then continued to explain that "Without Walt Disney, and the Sherman brothers to write the score, and Julie, it will be difficult. Every day we came to work and we knew there was something magical going on. There was such a spirit. Walt was always there as a morale builder. We both said we were children looking for our inner adult - Walt was such a big kid. Sequels are traditionally not as good as the first. But I wish them well."

Source: http://www.98fm.com/Dick-Van-Dyke-Has-D ... ins-Return

[Disney's Divinity]

He's not wrong. I kind of imagine the film as being its own thing (like one of the various re-makes) and not a legitimate sequel because it will likely feel/look/sound nothing like the original. On those terms, I think I can enjoy it.

[PatrickvD]

Since it's drawing from the books I see it more as another adaptation that can be viewed as seperate from the original film, but still with some tie-ins for continuity's sake. The original cast is too old so obviously, it's more reboot-ish.

[sunhuntin]

i hope they give dick a song to sing. saw a video recently of him and 3 others singing "chitty bang bang" in a dennys, and he still has the voice for it, especially in a place like that with no audio assistance, microphones or anything.

if dick and julie are in this, i will be going.

[Disney Guru]

Dick Van Dyke recently opened up about this and as I suspected. He isn't signed up for the project and probably won't be doing it.

http://www.metv.com/stories/dick-van-dy ... ins-sequel

[D82]

Emily Blunt says her character will be a bit different from the one in the original film:

While Andrews’ version of the magical nanny was sweet but firm, Blunt says her Mary Poppins will be slightly different — closer to the character from P.L. Travers’ original series. “We’re delving into the books a lot more,” she explains, “which is a different version of the character, I’ll say that much.” When she’s reminded that book Poppins is slightly tougher than fans of the 1964 film might expect, Blunt gives a coy smile: “She’s a little meaner, yeah.”

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/27/em ... ns-casting

[D82]

Some new info about Lin-Manuel Miranda's character:

Lin-Manuel Miranda isn’t playing Dick Van Dyke’s character in “Mary Poppins Returns.” But according to the “Hamilton” creator, who goes into production on “Poppins” early next year, he performs a similar role as the one Van Dyke’s Bert played in the original.

“It’s straight up a sequel,” he said in an interview conducted for the cover story in Variety‘s 2016 Gotham Issue. “Michael and Jane Banks have grown up, and they find themselves in their own spot, and Mary Poppins comes back to take care of Michael’s kids. I play a lamplighter named Jack who sort of grew up apprenticing to Bert. So I know if Mary Poppins shows up, it’s gonna get awesome. I perform that function in the movie, of saying: ‘Y’all don’t know about Mary Poppins. When Mary’s around, cool sh– happens.’ “

Source: http://variety.com/2016/legit/news/lin- ... 201870663/

[DisneyJedi]

Wait, what?? So Lin isn't playing Bert?! Boo! I call shenanigans!

[D82]

Emily Mortimer has signed on to join Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda in Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns.”

Mortimer will play Jane Banks, who along with her brother Michael (who will be played by Ben Whishaw in the pic), was one of the children the magical titular nanny looked after in the original 1964 film, and is now all-grown-up in this installment. The movie is set 25 years after the original.

Source: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/emily ... 201879285/

[blackcauldron85]

Colin Firth Joins Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’
http://www.slashfilm.com/colin-firth-ma ... s-returns/

[Disney's Divinity]

The cast list just keeps getting stronger! Btw, I wanted to say to whoever I spoke to earlier in the thread (I think it might've been Atlantica) that I saw Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria and she was very good. I’m also okay with her singing now after seeing her on SNL last weekend.

[D82]

EXCLUSIVE: Dick Van Dyke Opens Up About Joining 'Mary Poppins' Sequel: 'I Gotta Be a Part of It' (includes a video)
http://www.etonline.com/movies/205511_d ... art_of_it/

The 91-year-old actor recently sat down with ET where he revealed that he's got a cameo role in the upcoming Mary Poppins reboot!

"I'll be going to London in the spring to do my role, and I get to do a little song and dance number," Van Dyke explained. "I gotta be a part of it."

The iconic comic, who famously played the chimney sweep/street artist/one-man-band Bert, also played the elderly, bearded bank manager Mr. Dawes in the 1964 original.

This time around, though, Van Dyke said the filmmakers were looking for him to play the role of the banker's son, and he joked that it would be an easier role to take on.

"This time there's no four hours in the makeup chair, I grew into the part!" Van Dyke exclaimed. "I don't have to wear makeup at all!"

[disneyprincess11]

Production on MARY POPPINS RETURNS, the all new sequel to Disney's 1964 film "Mary Poppins," has commenced at Shepperton Studios. The film, which stars Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt ("The Girl on the Train," "Into the Woods") and Emmy, GRAMMY and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda ("Hamilton," "Moana") and is directed and produced by Oscar nominee, Emmy and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall ("Into the Woods," "Chicago"), is scheduled for release December 25, 2018.

The film also stars: Ben Whishaw ("Spectre"), Emily Mortimer ("Hugo") and Julie Walters ("Harry Potter" films) with Colin Firth ("The King's Speech") and Meryl Streep ("Florence Foster Jenkins"). In addition, Dick Van Dyke plays Mr. Dawes Jr., the chairman of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, which is now run by William Weatherall Wilkins (Firth).

"Mary Poppins Returns" introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies ("Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"), Nathanael Saleh ("Game of Thrones") and newcomer Joel Dawson.

The film is produced by Marshall, Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee John DeLuca ("Chicago") and Oscar and Tony nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt ("La La Land"). The screenplay is by Oscar nominee David Magee ("Life of Pi") based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Oscar nominee and Tony winner Marc Shaiman ("Hairspray") and Emmy nominee and Tony winner Scott Wittman ("Hairspray") writing all new songs with Shaiman composing an original score.

Amongst Marshall's award-winning creative team are Oscar-winning director of photography Dion Beebe, ASC ACS ("Memoirs of a Geisha"); two-time Oscar-winning production designer John Myhre ("Memoirs of a Geisha," "Chicago"); three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell ("The Young Victoria," "The Aviator," "Shakespeare in Love"); Oscar-winning hair and make-up designer Peter Swords King ("The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"); Oscar-winning set decorator Gordon Sim ("Chicago"); Oscar-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes ("LES MISERABLES"); and Emmy® nominated editor Wyatt Smith ("Doctor Strange," "Into the Woods"). The film is choreographed by Marshall and DeLuca with Joey Pizzi ("Chicago") serving as co-choreographer.

"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).

PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 book "Mary Poppins," which Disney adapted for the screen and released in August, 1964. The film, which was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, was the top-grossing film of that year and nominated for 13 Academy Awards®, winning five. However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of PL Travers' seven additional books, which she published between 1935 and 1988.

About Walt Disney Studios: For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Pr ... d-20170210

[Disney's Divinity]

Did we already know about Julie Walters involvement? What a stellar cast.

[D82]

Angela Lansbury will also be in the film:

Legendary actress Angela Lansbury has joined the cast of Disney’s upcoming sequel Mary Poppins Returns, playing a character named the Balloon Lady who wreaks helium havoc in the park during one of Mary Poppins’ outing with the Banks children. The character was introduced in Mary Poppins Comes Back, the second book in P.L. Travers’ series (where she was known as the Balloon Woman).

Source: http://ew.com/movies/2017/02/17/angela- ... s-returns/

Did we already know about Julie Walters involvement? What a stellar cast.

No, it was revealed in that press release, along with the actors who play the children. The cast is impressive. I just wish Julie Andrews has at least a cameo in the film like Dick Van Dyke.

[PatrickvD]

They might announce Julie at a later moment. Either that or she really did retire after the death of Blake Edwards.

[tsom]

I dont think she fully retired because she just directed a My Fair Lady revival in Australia, and she has Julie's Greenroom coming up on Netflix. I'm sure (or rather I hope) they'll announce her participation at a later date!

[UmbrellaFish]

Julie Andrews has not retired. As tsom noted, she recently filmed an entire television series for Netflix which begins streaming next month.

If Julie were in the sequel, I don't know why they would announce Van Dyke's participation and not her's. She has likely declined the role written for her, and it was given to Angela Lansbury instead (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, anyone?). If I were to hazard a guess as to why Julie might have declined participation in the film, it's not unlikely that she thinks her presence would distract from Emily Blunt's performance.

One of the big differences between this movie and the original is that the 1964 film is a who's who of Disney character actors, while this movie has a lot more A-list actors.