The Disney live-action remake train keeps chugging right along. Considering the admirable box office take of films likeThe Jungle BookandCinderella, it doesn’t seem to be something that will let up soon and, compared to other strains of remakes and franchises, the results have been rather passable. Amongst the hash of the new titles rolling out, the most anticipated one may well beMary Poppins Returns, a remake-sequel to the 1964 classic,Mary Poppins, that starredJulie AndrewsandDick Van Dyke.
The reason for this is primarily its cast thus far, which is led byEmily Blunt, who has been a standout performer in some of the last decade’s most memorable action films, includingSicario,Looper, andEdge of Tomorrow. She will, of course, be playing the titular magical nanny that rears a pair of troublesome kids, and she will be joined byLin-Manuel Miranda, the musical-theater genius behindHamilton, who will play a street-lamp lighter named Jack, a new creation for this film.
This casting has already been confirmed, but Disney released a brand new confirmation today, which, thankfully, came packaged with some similarly big news. That would be a proper release date, andMarry Poppins Returnswill now be hitting theaters on December 25th, 2018. It’s a perfect release date for such a family-centric movie, and it’s also a familiar time for release for the film’s director,Rob Marshall, who has routinely released Oscar-bait around Christmas time. This most famously happened withChicago, which was released mid-December and went on to rack up big award wins, but then there’s also an out-and-out dud like his take onMemoirs of a Geisha.
Most recently, he was responsible for the film adaptation ofInto the Woods, which turned out much more rewarding than the director’s shallow attempt to turn Fellini’s8 1/2into a musical withNine, one of the few films to starDaniel Day-Lewiswhich is borderline unwatchable. Here’s hoping that this latest venture will be more in line withChicagoandInto the Woods.
