Mary Poppins Reboot Production Begins, Synopsis Revealed

The Mary Poppins movie reboot starring Emily Blunt has officially begun production, Disney announced this week. Shooting is taking place at Shepperton Studios in the UK, which is also where Disney filmed the upcoming live-action Beauty and the Beast movie starring Emma Watson.

The new Mary Poppins film, which is called Mary Poppins Returns, also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice), and Julie Walters (Harry Potter series). Dick Van Dyke, who played one of the leads in the 1964 original, is returning for the reboot. Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins in the original.

Like the original, the reboot will feature three Banks children, who are played by Pixie Davies (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children), Nathanael Saleh (Game of Thrones) and Joel Dawson.

Also similar to the original, the sequel is set in 1930s depression-era London and tells a story based on the works of author PL Travers. Here is the official synopsis:

"In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep)."

Mary Poppins Returns is directed by Rob Marshall, who made the Disney movie Into the Woods. Mary Poppins Returns comes out on Christmas Day 2018.