Mary Poppins 2 is officially happening, Emily Blunt confirmed to star

Rumblings about a new Mary Poppins movie started last year, with various reports suggesting Disney was keen to revive the 1964 film for modern audiences. Ah, that old chestnut. It made sense at the time, given the studio's recent habit of rummaging through its back catalogue for timeless classics to remake. Those rumors turned out to be true, as THR reports that Disney is indeed going ahead with a sequel. 

Instead of the obvious Mary Poppins 2, the film is going by the title Mary Poppins Returns. Chicago and Into The Woods director Rob Marshall is set to direct, and following a juicy rumor, it's confirmed that Emily Blunt will star as the magical, eccentric nanny.  

As Marshall made clear last year, the film is not a remake because of the vast amount of related material yet to be adapted for the screen. The first film was based on a novel by P.L. Travers, who went on to pen another seven books about Mary Poppins. That's a decent trove of untapped potential right there, hence the film will pick up with the Banks children decades later. "The story will be set in Depression-era London," reads THR's description, "where a now grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by their former nanny following a tragedy in the family that leaves them numb and joyless." 

Sounds... err... cheery. 

Directed by Rob Marshall, and starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns opens in the US on December 25, 2018, with a UK release date yet to be confirmed. 

Images: Disney