Emily Blunt Shines in the First Trailer for Mary Poppins Returns

The first full trailer for Mary Poppins Returns, much like the magical nanny herself, has floated down to earth just when we need her most (my Twitter feed was looking bleak, y’all). The highly anticipated film is a direct sequel to the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, with Emily Blunt reprising the role made famous by Julie Andrews.

The trailer introduces us to the Banks children, Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael (Ben Wishaw), who are now all grown up. Michael is now a widower with three precocious children of his own, and Mary has returned to help the family recover from their loss.

The trailer also introduces us to Jack (Lin Manuel Miranda) a lamplighter and former apprentice of Bert (Dick Van Dyke). Dick Van Dyke also appears in the trailer playing Mr. Dawes Jr., the son of George Banks’ boss. Van Dyke played the original Mr. Dawes in the 1964 film in old age make-up, which the 92 year old actor didn’t need this time around. The fact that Dick Van Dyke is still spry enough to dance on a table at his age is magic all on its own.

The trailer also gives us a mini The Devil Wears Prada reunion, with Meryl Streep playing Mary Poppins’ eccentric cousin Topsy. Other co-stars include Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury, and Julie Walters. The film was written by David Magee (Finding Neverland) and directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago).

All in all, this film looks delightful, and I think that Emily Blunt is perfectly cast as Mary Poppins. Blunt brings so much warmth and intelligence to all her work, and clearly comes through in the trailer. She has some awfully big shoes to fill, as Julie Andrews’ performance was instantly iconic. Andrews, who won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the film, was asked to return for a cameo appearance but declined, according to an interview with director Rob Marshall:

“Julie was incredibly gracious, and we talked about it in a very general way but she made it clear right up front. She said, ‘This is Emily’s show, and I really want it to be Emily’s show. I don’t want it to be, ‘Oh, here comes that Mary Poppins.’ I don’t want that. I really want her to take this and run with it because she will be brilliant.”

I mean, I expected nothing less from the Queen of Genovia. What do you think of the trailer? Are you excited for Mary Poppins Returns?

(image: Disney)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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