Over the weekend a small corner of our Twitter feed was briefly panicked by the goings on in the City of London. Smoke was pouring out of a part of Cornhill and worried twitter users in the area quickly spread the word that it was, in fact, location filming for Disney’s latest’s franchise revisitation with Mary Poppins Returns.
The Bank of England and the Royal Exchange were important landmarks in the original stories, and in the 1964 film. This time the production team were actually there. See below for some excellent shots, including our first look at Lin-Manuel
Here is some more stills of Emily Blunt as #MaryPoppins in 'Mary Poppins Returns,' the new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film 'Mary Poppins.' pic.twitter.com/x3YpNcw8VN
— Gordon Harrold (@TheRoyalFootman) March 5, 2017
Saw #MaryPoppins being filmed today in London! pic.twitter.com/ceARQUUjHS
— Vane Zamalloa (@VaneZamalloa) March 4, 2017
First look at @Lin_Manuel as Bert in #MaryPoppins. Yup, we're sold! #LinManuelMiranda #marypoppinsreturns pic.twitter.com/W89JPqnVvD
— Curtain Call (@curtaincall) March 4, 2017
It’s wonderful to see the City being used for this film. HeyUGuys began when both Dave and I were working in the area, so it has a special place in our hearts. And while the location will add to the realism of the film, we hope that the dreamy spirit of Jim Fetherolf’s matte paintings is somewhere in there still. (Incidentally this is a must-read for fans of the art of the 1964 film).
Production began recently at Shepperton Studios here in the UK, and the cast includes the likes of Ben Whishaw who will play the grown up Michael Banks, Emily Mortimer will appear as his sister, Jane Banks. And there are new characters to enjoy including Topsy, as played by Meryl Streep and Colin Firth, who will play William Weatherall Wilkins, president of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. Dick Van Dyke also returns as Mr. Dawes Jr., the chairman of the Bank, in a nod to his secret role in the original. The release also states that Julie Walters will the housekeeper Ellen, who appeared in the original film.
Below you can see the very first official shot of Emily Blunt as the titular nanny, and very splendid she looks too. She’s…….Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, even though the sound of it…. and so on. Can’t wait.
Mary Poppins Returns is set for release around December the 25th, 2018.
Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins Returns Movie Synopsis
The film sets its scene in 1930s London, Michael and Jane Banks are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack 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