Ever since Disney announced last year Emily Blunt would play the titular role in its Mary Poppins sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, the actress hasn’t been able to contain her excitement. She especially couldn’t during her Girl on the Train interview with us last October, when she expressed relief at the internet’s general approval of her casting in Julie Andrews’ “iconic role.” Yet aside from a few additional casting notices, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Meryl Streep, Disney has kept things fairly quiet on the Mary Poppins front.
Until today, when Disney released the first official image of Blunt in costume as the magical nanny.
Along with this first look at the sequel’s red hat-wearing, blue coat-donning, magical bag that holds everything-carrying hero, Disney also released an official synopsis for the new film — along with additional casting information. Set in Depression-era London, Mary Poppins Returns focuses on the adult lives of two of the Banks children, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer), and Michael’s three kids (Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson). After tragedy strikes the family, Poppins returns — along with her “eccentric cousin” Topsy (Streep) and an “optimistic street lamplighter” named Jack (Miranda) — to set things right.
In addition to this principal cast, the original film’s Dick Van Dyke joins the production alongside Angela Lansbury, Julie Walters and Colin Firth. Mary Poppins Returns drops into theaters Christmas Day 2018.
