Although she won’t be return to voice Mrs. Potts in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, entertainment legend and five time Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury is still an active part of the Disney family, and has just been cast in Mary Poppins Returns as the Balloon Lady, a beloved character from P.L. Travers’ series of Mary Poppins novels. Aside from Mrs. Potts, Lansbury has starred in the classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks for the studio. At the age of 91, Lansbury seems to show no signs of slowing down, and the actress has been appearing in several Broadway shows over the past several years.
Mary Poppins Returns is being directed and produced by Rob Marshall (Into the Woods, Chicago), and stars Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train, Into the Woods), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana), Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Emily Mortimer (Hugo) and Julie Walters (Harry Potter) with Colin Firth (Kingsman) and the legendary Meryl Streep. The film will introduce three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children), Nathanael Saleh (Game of Thrones) and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features original Mary Poppins cast member Dick Van Dyke.
Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from material in P.L. Travers’ additional seven books in the series. In this new film, 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).
Mary Poppins Returns hits theaters on Christmas Day, 2018.
Are you excited for the legendary Mrs. Lansbury to join the Mary Poppins sequel? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
