Mary Poppins returns

Mary Poppins Returns is a 2018 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall, with a screenplay written by David Magee and a story by Magee, Marshall, and John DeLuca. Based on the book series of the same name by P. L. Travers,[1] the film is a sequel to the 1964 film Mary Poppins, and stars Emily Blunt as the eponymous character with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep in supporting roles. Set in 1930s London, twenty-five years after the events of the original film, it sees Mary Poppins, the former nanny of Jane and Michael Banks, returning after a family tragedy.

Walt Disney Pictures announced the film in September 2015. Marshall was hired later that month, and Blunt and Miranda were cast in February 2016. Principal photography lasted from February to July 2017, and took place at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. Mary Poppins Returns held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on November 29, 2018, and was released in the United States on December 19, 2018, making it one of the longest gaps between film sequels in cinematic history at 54 years.[5][6]

The film has grossed over $174.5 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Blunt's performance, the musical score and numbers, visuals, production values, and sense of nostalgia, although some critics found it derivative of the first film.[7] It was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2018 and received numerous award nominations, including four at the 76th Golden Globe Awards (including for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), nine at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, and a SAG Award nomination for Blunt at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Contents

 * 1Plot
 * 2Cast
 * 2.1Voices
 * 3Production
 * 3.1Development
 * 3.2Casting
 * 3.3Filming
 * 3.4Animation
 * 3.5Music
 * 4Release
 * 4.1Marketing
 * 5Reception
 * 5.1Box office
 * 5.2Critical response
 * 5.3Accolades
 * 6References
 * 7External links

Plot[edit]
In 1935 London, Michael Banks lives in his childhood home with his children Annabel, John, and Georgie. With his wife Kate having died a year ago, Ellen and Jane are helping him to raise the children. However, Michael has taken a loan from the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank to cover expenses, and William Weatherall Wilkins sends his associates to warn him his house will be repossessed if the loan is not repaid by Friday. Michael and Jane remember their father left them shares in the bank that can cover the loan, and search the house for the certificate proving their ownership of the shares ("A Conversation"). During the search, Michael finds a kite, but finds no worth in it anymore and puts it out to give away.

While out in the park with Annabel and John, Georgie finds the kite and tries flying it. Georgie ends up being pulled into the sky, but then comes down with Mary Poppins, who decides to take care of the three children as their nanny and starts off by drawing them a bath. The bath leads down to an oceanic world ("Can You Imagine That?"), but Mary Poppins denies anything fantastical happened.

Michael goes to the bank to see if he can find proof of his shares, but Wilkins denies that there are any records of them before tearing the record out of the official ledger and burning it in the fireplace after Michael has left his office. That evening, Annabel and John decide to sell their mother's "priceless" bowl to pay off the debt. Georgie tries to stop them, and the bowl ends up damaged while the three were fighting over it. Jack greets Mary Poppins and joins her and the kids on a trip inside the painting on the side of the bowl. The group meets the talking animals drawn on the bowl, and Mary Poppins creates the Royal Doulton Music Hall ("The Royal Doulton Musical Hall"), in which she and Jack perform ("Introducing Mary Poppins", "A Cover Is Not The Book"). However, Georgie is kidnapped by a gang of a wolf, a weasel, and a badger, and Annabel and John go to rescue him. They successfully do so but end up going out of painting, and later wake up in their beds, and Mary Poppins convinces them their experience was a dream but realizing it was shared ("The Place Where Lost Things Go").

The next day, Mary Poppins and the children go to see Mary's cousin Topsy to get the bowl fixed ("Turning Turtle"), and find out the bowl has little monetary value. They then go to the bank to give Michael his briefcase, but when the children go to Wilkins' office to ask him for help, they overhear him planning to take away their house. Seeing parallels between Wilkins and his associates and the animal gang who kidnapped him, Georgie interrupts the banker's meeting. When Michael arrives, he does not believe the children and becomes angry with them for putting the house and his job at risk. Mary Poppins takes the children home, and they are guided by Jack and his fellow lamplighters, who teach the children their lingo ("Trip a Little Light Fantastic"). When they return, Michael is already there and is furious. As he berates the children and Mary Poppins, he begins to break down over his late wife, but the children sing to him ("The Place Where Lost Things Go (Reprise)") and make him feel better.

The Banks family prepares to move out of their house, but while examining his old kite, Michael realizes Georgie used parts of the shares certificate to cover the kite's holes. Michael and Jane head to the bank while Mary Poppins and the children go with Jack and the lamplighters to Big Ben to "turn back time." After scaling the clock tower, Jack and Mary turn Big Ben back five minutes, giving Michael and Jane enough time to reach the bank. Michael and Jane reach the bank in time, but are unsuccessful in getting their shares due to not having the part with the signatures on the certificates. However, Mr. Dawes Jr. arrives and ousts Wilkins from the bank for his corrupt practices ("Trip a Little Light Fantastic (Reprise)"). Mr. Dawes reveals Michael and Jane's father had invested Michael's tuppence from 25 years ago and that the returns from that investment are enough to repay the loan.

The next day, the Banks family goes to the park and purchases balloons that take them into the air, in which they are joined by Jack and numerous others, including Wilkins, whose balloon falls to the ground ("Nowhere To Go But Up"). When they return home, Mary Poppins realizes it is time for her to go, and Michael and Jane thank her as she flies back up into the sky.

Cast[edit]
Oliver Ford Davis as The butler epacing ellen
 * Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins.[8][9]
 * Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack:[10] a cockney lamplighter and former apprentice of Bert from the original film.
 * Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks: Jane's brother, who is now working as a part-time teller at Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, and a struggling yet widowed artist.[11] Matthew Garber portrayed the character in the original film.
 * Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks: Michael's sister who is now working as a labor organizer.[12] Karen Dotrice portrayed the character in the original film, and makes a cameo appearance as an elegant woman in Mary Poppins Returns.
 * Pixie Davies as Annabel Banks: Michael's daughter.[13]
 * Nathanael Saleh as John Banks: Michael's older son.
 * Joel Dawson as Georgie Banks: Michael's younger son.
 * Julie Walters as Mrs Brll: Michael's and Jane's long-time cook.[14] The character was previously portrayed by Rita Shaw  in the original film.
 * Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr.: the chairman of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and William's uncle. Just as in the first film, Van Dyke was credited as "Navckid Keyd" which unscrambled into his name during the credits. The character was portrayed by Arthur Malet in the original film, while Van Dyke previously portrayed both Bert and Mr. Dawes, Sr. (Mr. Dawes, Jr.'s late father).[15][16]
 * Angela Lansbury as The Balloon Lady. The character does not appear in the original film but comes directly from the novels.
 * Colin Firth as William "Weatherall" Wilkins: the current president of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank.[17]
 * Firth also voices a wolf in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence.
 * Meryl Streep as Topsy: Mary Poppins's eccentric Eastern European cousin who runs a fix-it shop within London.[18]
 * David Warner as Admiral Boom: a staunchly by-the-book retired naval officer, who is now confined to a wheelchair. Reginald Owen portrayed the character in the first movie.[16]
 * Jim Norton as Mr. Binnacle: Boom's first mate. Don Barclay portrayed the character, while David Tomlinson provided his voice in the original film.
 * Jeremy Swift as Hamilton Gooding: one of Wilkins's associates.
 * Swift also voices a badger in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence.
 * Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Templeton Frye: one of Wilkins's associates.
 * Holdbrook-Smith also voices a weasel in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence.
 * Noma Dumezweni as Miss Penny Farthing: Wilkins's secretary.
 * Tarik Frimpong as Angus: Jack's fellow lamplighter.