Mary Poppins will soon be back, as Disney has confirmed that a new live-action musical starring everyone’s favorite nanny is to be made. According to Entertainment Weekly , director Rob Marshall (who directed Into The Woods ) has signed on to direct the film, which will tell a more in-depth story of Mary and her life beyond the Banks family.
“The practically perfect 1964 screen adaptation starring Julie Andrews pulled its story primarily from the first installment in Travers’ eight-book series; the new project (which is decidedly not being developed as a sequel) will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.”
The new Mary Poppins musical announcement comes just two years after the release of Saving Mr. Banks , which told the story of Poppins author P.L. Travers (played by actress Emma Thompson). The film was a bit darker than many Disney fans expected, but seeing into the world beyond Mary Poppins was quite a treat (there are still theories that the whole thing was fabricated, but it’s fascinating nonetheless).
The announcement of this new film also came with other names attached, which suggests this project will be getting off the ground fairly soon.
“With Marshall helming, songwriting duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ( Hairspray , Smash ) are on board to compose original songs and a new score; David Magee ( Finding Neverland , Life of Pi ) is attached to write the screenplay.”
According to Variety , Disney hit a grand slam with Mary Poppins when it was first released. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke were absolute perfection in their roles, and many people still consider the film a favorite today, over 50 years since its original release.
“The film was a huge hit, grossing $100 million at the box office, and earned five Oscars including one for Andrews as best actress.”
At this point in time, there aren’t any rumors about the cast, which will undoubtedly be made up of A-listers. Many are curious about who will make these characters come to life (yes, it’s going to be hard to fill Julie Andrews’ shoes), but there have already been some suggestions. Anne Hathaway seems to be a top choice to play Mary… thoughts?
Not surprisingly, the feedback following Disney’s announcement hasn’t been all that great. Most people just want Mary Poppins left alone… because, really, will it ever get any better?
You should only remake a movie if there’s improvement to be made. Mary Poppins is untouchable. This is horrible news.
— Annemarie Brown (@AdmiralAkbrown) September 14, 2015
disney proved yet again with saving mr. banks they have no intention of treating the mary poppins stories with respect so why bother
— Ria E (@littleleotas) September 14, 2015
You guys realize Bert from the ORIGINAL Mary Poppins is my only true husband/bae. This one is going to be a phony and awful
— Jessica Ariel (@ariel_thethird) September 14, 2015
[Photo by Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport]
