While Julie Andrews has given her endorsement to the new film, director Rob Marshall has confirmed that the legendary actress and singer will not be appearing in the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns.
Marshall tells EW this week that Andrews, who played the titular magical nanny in the original 1964 classic, was offered the chance but turned it down and explained that it was essentially not to step on the toes of the new Mary Poppins, Emily Blunt:
“Julie was incredibly gracious, and we talked about it in a very general way but she made it clear right up front. She said, ‘This is Emily’s show, and I really want it to be Emily’s show. I don’t want it to be, ‘Oh, here comes that Mary Poppins.’ I don’t want that. I really want her to take this and run with it because she will be brilliant.”
While Andrews won’t appear, Dick Van Dyke from the original film is slated to pop up in the film which is set in 1930s Depression-era London and sees the now grown up Banks children Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer), three children and their housekeeper.
After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny (Blunt) re-enters their lives and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Mary Poppins Returns flys onto the silver screen on December 25th 2018.
