Emily Blunt​ Is Officially Starring in Mary Poppins Returns with Lin-Manuel Miranda

Emily Blunt - Lin-Manuel Miranda
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Walter McBride/WireImage

It's official: 54 years after Mary Poppins first made her appearance on the big screen, the magical nanny will make her return in a sequel just in time for the 2018 holiday season, and Walt Disney Pictures confirmed that Emily Blunt and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda will portray the lead roles in the much-anticipated reboot.

You can expect an all-new soundtrack and storyline from the Rob Marshall-directed Mary Poppins Returns, which will be set in Depression-era London and feature grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mom-to-be Blunt will simultaneously pay homage and put her own spin on the role of the beloved nanny, who was first brought to life by Julie Andrews in 1964.

Julie Andrews
Courtesy Everett Collection

As the magical English nanny, Mary Poppins, Andrews wore a range of prim and proper outfits that had just enough charm and quirk to make her character stand out in the film.

Courtesy Everett Collection

While it's hard to imagine anyone replacing Andrews, Blunt's significant singing chops from Into the Woods prove that the award-winning actress has what it takes to do the role justice. As for Miranda, the star Broadway performer, writer, and composer will take on a new character in the Mary Poppins universe: Jack the lamplighter. The sequel is set to hit theaters Christmas Day 2018.

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