Only a couple of years after making a movie all about how Mary Poppins author PL Travers didn’t like the idea of making a Mary Poppins movie and tried to control the process to ensure it didn’t go too Hollywood, Disney has decided to see what the sound of Travers spinning in her grave would be like, by announcing they’re working on a new, original Poppins movie.
Into The Woods and Chicago director Rob Marshall will help develop and helm the new live-action musical, which EW reports will be set in Depression-era London. And while the 1960s movie was mainly based in the first of Travers’ books, the new movie ‘will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.’
Disney is keen to stress that this shouldn’t be seen as a sequel, instead being a completely new take of the characters. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash) will write the songs, and the film apparently has the support of original Mary Poppins co-composer, Richard Sherman.
Disney also has the blessing of the Travers estate, who obviously aren’t a controlling as the author herself.