Mary Poppins returns to the big screen in time for the holidays of 2018.
No, wait… We already knew she was coming back, but the return I'm talking about is right smack in the official title Disney has given to the Mary Poppins sequel that'll star Emily Blunt in the title role as the legendary nanny – MARY POPPINS RETURNS. And The Mouse has picked December 25, 2018 for the film's release date, because they know what they're doing when it comes to prying money out of your wallet around the holidays for their product. (They're pros at that sort of thing.)
Rob Marshall is behind the camera and HAMILTON star Lin-Manuel Miranda enters the Poppins-verse – it's all expanded universes these days – to play a street lamplighter named Jack that'll factor into the story and, for sure, have at least one musical number assigned to him to showcase Miranda's talents.
As for that story…
Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Mary Poppins seems primed and ready for the re-quel treatment when you take into account how successful the principle "everything old becoming new again" has been lately with Disney right at the center of it working. Now we have some concrete details on how and when The Mouse intends to add this one to their win column.