"Mary Poppins Returns" Special Advance Screening Attracts Celebs

Magic, optimism, hope and joy held court when Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns held its special advance screening January 5 at the SM Aura.

Celebrities, social media personalities, members of the press and fans made up the evening’s guests, snapping selfies against spectacular photo walls before being uplifted by the film’s heart-tugging message.

Guests alternately laughed and cried and laughed some more during the film, as Mary Poppins Returns reminded viewers that amid this delicate time for the world, there is still whimsy and wonder.  As the iconic nanny would say, “Everything is possible, even the impossible!”

Meryl Streep Delights as Mary Poppins' Eccentric Cousin in New Family Film

When three-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep was approached by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca to play Mary Poppins’s eccentric Cousin Topsy in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, a small but memorable role, the awards season favorite excitedly said yes.

Explaining Streep’s character, Marshall says, “There's a character in the book Mary Poppins Comes Back named Fred Turvy, a man, so we thought, well, that's interesting. He was similar to Uncle Albert from the first film [the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews as the titular nanny] because when PL Travers wrote these books, they always have some similarities. So there was a great character, a really fun character who fixes things, and they went to fix this bowl that they break. And the message is that he sees things from a different point of view because everything turns upside down on this certain day and Mary Poppins explains that sometimes it's good to see things from a different point of view, so it's a beautiful message, a wonderful message for kids.

Emily Blunt Shines as the Iconic Nanny in "Mary Poppins Returns" (Opens Jan 8)

For the role of the iconic, proper, peculiar and enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns, the filmmakers had only one person in mind: Emily Blunt.

“Emily is a brilliant actress who is funny, warm, quick-witted and deeply-feeling. She can also really sing and dance,” says the film’s director, Rob Marshall, who had worked with Blunt on Into the Woods. “I get what she does, I get her humor…we’re very simpatico. She created her own version of the character in a very distinctive and special way, which focused more on the eccentric Mary Poppins from the books. I don’t know who else could have played the role besides her, to be quite honest.”

Meet the Cast & Characters of "Mary Poppins Returns"

Bringing Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, an original film musical, to the big screen was a massive undertaking. From developing a new story about the next generation of the Banks family to creating new music that feels fresh but with nostalgic elements, director Rob Marshall and his team faced numerous challenges.

But without the right actors to bring that magic to life, the work would be in vain.  An impressive array of acclaimed actors, led by Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep, helped Marshall accomplish his mission.

Rob Marshall Creates an Original Musical for the Big Screen with "Mary Poppins Returns"

It has always been a dream of Rob Marshall’s to conceive an original musical specifically for film. The Oscar®-nominated (Chicago), Emmy® and DGA Award-winning director, who began his career on the Broadway stage as a choreographer and director, is responsible for the successful screen adaptations of Chicago, Nine, and Into the Woods, and understands the world of film and the world of Broadway musicals in a unique and personal way. Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the 1964 classic Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews as the beloved nanny, was a chance for Marshall to create an homage to the classic movie musicals of his youth.

"Moana" Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda Stars in "Mary Poppins Returns"

He earned an Oscar® nomination and a GRAMMY® Award for the composing the original song, “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s Moana.  Now, Lin-Manuel Miranda stars opposite Emily Blunt in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns.

Miranda plays Jack, an old friend of Mary Poppins (Blunt) and is a charming and eternally optimistic lamplighter. Together, they take the Banks’ children on a series of whimsical adventures and introduce them to colorful characters, bringing life, love and laughter back into their home.

"Mary Poppins Returns" Vies for Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Awards

Walt Disney Pictures’ heartwarming musical Mary Poppins Returns has solidified its status as a strong awards contender as the Rob Marshall film has collected major nominations at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

At the Globes, Mary Poppins Returns is nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Emily Blunt), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Marc Shaiman).

"I delighted in playing every aspect of this extraordinary and iconic character,” Blunt said in a statement after learning of her Golden Globes nomination. “The entire experience working on it was spellbinding and that's largely to do with the incomparable Rob Marshall who took on this project with great love, depth and courage in his heart. I'm thrilled for Lin and for the recognition for our beautiful score as well as the film as a whole. Thank you again."

Mary Poppins Returns - Musical and Whimsical Start Of The Year

It's 2019 and we are very excited for the great line up of movies that will shown in theaters and for the new set of movies that will make this year epic, and what better way to start is with a anticipated and feel good movie by Walt Disney, Mary Poppins Returns. A long-awaited sequel of the 1964 movie Mary Poppins which was starred by Julie Andrews, amd Dick Van Dyke. 

Mary Poppins back then was a breakthrough in the film industry with an amazing integration of live action plus animation which defined the film. This has been replicated with an updated technological features of this generation. Since its has been over 50 years since the first movie, some of the original cast has also made some cameos in the film like Dick Van Dyke and Karen Dotrice.

Stepping in the shoes of Julie Andrews as the magical nanny Mary Poppins, Emily Blunt shows her elegance, grace, and playfulness with the role. Given that the movie will have a lot of dancing, singing, and interactions, she really embraces the character which is nostalgia to the viewers who have watched the first one.

New Year, New Movies at SM Cinema!

SM Cinema welcomes 2019 with a bang as it brings you adventure, action and excitement in upcoming blockbuster flicks Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns and Paramount Pictures’ Bumblebee!

A sequel to Walt Disney’s 1964 classic, Mary Poppins, the world’s favorite magical nanny is back and will surely drive us again to an adventure of a lifetime.

Set in the 1930’s London, Mary Poppins Returns follows the now-adults Jane (Jane Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) together with Michael’s children as they face a personal loss and a family problem. In the time the family needs her the most, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) is back to the rescue to help the family and cope with the most difficult time of their lives.

Disney Reveals First-Look of "Mary Poppins Returns"

Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the first look at Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the beloved 1964 musical classic that starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

Based on the Mary Poppins stories by P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins Returns comes from a screenplay by Life of Pi scribe David Magee, with Oscar-winning Chicago and Into the Woods director Rob Marshall at the helm.

The film stars Emily Blunt in the title role, with Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Meryl Streep.

Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, 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 also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep).