Disney Developing Another MARY POPPINS Movie With Rob Marshall Directing

Movie Mary Poppins Mary Poppins 2 Disney Rob Marshall about 9 years agoby Ben Pearson

The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to reviving old properties in an effort to make more money — just take a look at the seemingly dozens of live-action adaptations in the works based on their classic animated films for proof — and now the studio is at it again.

EW reports that the company is "developing a new original live-action musical film" featuring the iconic character of Mary Poppins that Into The Woods helmer Rob Marshall will direct. The studio has already rewritten history to try to make the making of Mary Poppins into a more charitable scenario than it actually was in Saving Mr. Banks, and now they're really sticking it to the late author P.L. Travers (who hated the 1964 Mary Poppins film) by continuing the adventures of the character on the big screen yet again.

The new Poppins film will take place in Depression-era London, some 20 years after Disney’s classic Mary Poppins, and will draw from existing Poppins tales in the rest of author P.L. Travers’ 1934-1988 children’s book series. The practically perfect 1964 screen adaptation starring Julie Andrews pulled its story primarily from the first installment in Travers’ eight-book series; the new project (which is decidedly not being developed as a sequel) will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.

So it's not a sequel, but it continues Mary's adventures with the Banks family? Riiiiiight. Give me a break, Disney. If that's truly what the story is going to be, just call it a freaking sequel and be done with it.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash) are writing new original songs and the film's score, while David Magee (Finding Neverland, Life of Pi) is writing the screenplay. I can't imagine anyone being able to capture the perfection of Andrews' performance in the role of Mary Poppins, but it seems like this is not a fever dream, so we'll be keeping you up to date with casting news as it comes in down the line.