Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” stars Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place,” “The Girl on the Train”) as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn an ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure. In this all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. The enigmatic nanny is joined by her friend Jack, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”), an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”).
The screenplay is by David Magee (“Life of Pi”) and the screen story is by Magee & Marshall & John DeLuca (“Into the Woods”) based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a., and Marc Platt, p.g.a. (“La La Land”) with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer and the music is by Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”) with songs by Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”) and Shaiman.
“I was incredibly honored to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel,” says director/producer Rob Marshall. “This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen.”
PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children’s book “Mary Poppins.” However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other PL Travers’ books…until now. “Mary Poppins Returns” is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. “Mary Poppins Returns” also stars Ben Whishaw (“Spectre”) as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer (“Hugo”) as Jane Banks; Julie Walters (“Harry Potter” films) as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies (“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”), Nathanael Saleh (“Game of Thrones”) and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children; with Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep (“Florence Foster Jenkins”) as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy In addition, Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.
The film takes place in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the first film was set. Michael Banks works for the same financial institution that employed his father and still lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his three children, Annabel, John and Georgie and their housekeeper Ellen. Carrying on in her mother’s tradition, Jane Banks campaigns for workers’ rights and provides a helping hand to Michael’s family. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack’s help, brings joy and wonder back into their home.
“’Mary Poppins’ was the first film I saw as a child and it opened my mind up to movies and to the love of musicals and adventure and fantasy in film,” says Marshall. “But this film isn’t just for children….it’s for the child in all of us.”
The award-winning craftsmen comprising the creative team include: director of photography Dion Beebe, ACS, ASC (“Memoirs of a Geisha”); production designer John Myhre (“Chicago”); film editor Wyatt Smith, ACE (“Doctor Strange”); costume designer Sandy Powell (“The Aviator”); make-up and hair designer Peter Swords King (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”); set decorator Gordon Sim (“Chicago”); and production sound mixer Simon Hayes, AMPS, CAS (“Les Misérables”). The film is choreographed by Marshall and DeLuca with Joey Pizzi (“Chicago”) serving as co-choreographer.
“Mary Poppins Returns” will be released in Indian theaters on January 04, 2018.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
Genre: Live-Action Musical
India Release date: January 04, 2019
Cast: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, introducing Joel Dawson with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep
Director: Rob Marshall
Screenplay by: David Magee
Screen Story by: David Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca
Based upon: The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers
Producers: John DeLuca, Rob Marshall, Marc Platt
Executive Producer: Callum McDougall
Music by: Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
