Practically perfect in every way! Julie Andrews has given her blessing for Emily Blunt to play the iconic Mary Poppins in the remake of the 1964 Disney classic.
Blunt, 33, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall had a conversation with the star of the original, now 80, who won the Academy Award for her performance as the magical nanny. “Rob said he was in the Hamptons, and he saw [Andrews], and he said, ‘It’s top secret, but Emily Blunt’s paying Mary Poppins,’” Blunt said. “And she went, ‘Oh, wonderful!’”
“I felt like I wanted to cry,” she continued. “It was lovely to get her stamp of approval. That took the edge off it, for sure.”
The Devil Wears Prada actress explained why she’s so nervous to take on the musical role. “I feel a little more trepidation with this [character] because she’s so emblematic of people’s nostalgia,” she said. “It’s such an important character in people’s childhood.”
However, the Girl on the Train star has a different take on Poppins than Andrews’ interpretation of the character, first created by author P.L. Travers in a series of eight books. “We’re delving into the books a lot more, which is a different version of the character, I’ll say that much,” she said. “She’s a little meaner, yeah.”
Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda will star alongside Blunt as Jack, a lamplighter, and Meryl Streep is also in talks to join the remake.
Mary Poppins Returns is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2018.
