Attending the Mary Poppins Returns press conference was as magical as the movie itself. Since the holiday season is here there was a nostalgic and childlike fantasy feeling everywhere.
The Montage in Beverly Hills was the perfect place to host this day and whisk you away into Mary Poppins wonderland. As I listened to the cast, directors and music choreographers, I learned that they all had one thing in common, working on Mary Poppins was a childhood dream come true.
Mary Poppins Returns is a Cluster of Stories
“It was obvious there were many more stories to be told,” says Director, Rob Marshall, “and once we read all the books we were able to combine elements from a number of them that emphasized Travers’ recurring theme that, as we become adults, we become disillusioned and cynical and forget how to look at life through a child’s eyes.”
Life Prepares Us for Our Dreams
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 knows how to construct a musical. He understands the world of film and the world of Broadway musicals in a unique and personal way, and “Mary Poppins Returns” was a chance for him to create an homage to the classic movie musicals of his youth.
You Have to Know What You are Looking For In Order To Find It
“We searched all over the world for these children,” says Marshall. “I wanted to find real kids—not showbiz kids—who have the skills to act and sing and dance, but can also bring a freshness and a truth to their roles, and we really lucked out.” Of all the characters, these three were the most challenging to cast. “We wanted the children to have distinct personalities,” says DeLuca, “and it was a long search, but these characters are so crucial to our story, and the actors we found bring so much to the film.”
The Force Behind The Costumes
Three-time Academy Award-winning costume designer, Sandy Powell assembled a team to design and build the costumes, which included: textile artists (both printers and painters), milliners, jewelry makers, shoemakers, dressers, cleaners, administrators, supervisors and crew members assisting with props and overseeing continuity. The acclaimed costume designer began working on the film in September 2016, studying vintage street photography and fashion advertisements for inspiration. She would go on to create 448 original costumes over the next nine months!
MARY POPPINS RETURNS arrives in theatres everywhere on December 19th!
Movie Synopsis
In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all-new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place,” “The Girl on the Train”) stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps
bring light—and life—to the streets of London.
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