Mary Poppins 3is already in the early stages of planning at Disney. Mary Poppins Returns arrive in theaters over Christmas and, perhaps as much as any other movie that arrived in 2018, it was saddled with the burden of great expectations, given that it’s a sequel to one of the most beloved classics in Disney’s vast library. But the response thus far has been quite good and, as such, it looks like the Mouse House is at least looking at a sequel.
Mary Poppins Returnswas recently nominated for four Golden Globes, including a Best Actress nomination for Emily Blunt, who has earned a great deal of praise for her portrayal of the magical nanny. TheMary Poppins 3news comes from director Rob Marshall, who, in a recent interview, revealed that, though early on in the process, a follow-up is already being tossed around. Here’s what Marshall had to say about it.
“It is early stages but I will say right now that there were eight books, so there’s a lot of great material still to mine. That’s what we worked from, those incredibleeight books of P.L. Travers. So, you know… Listen, how many Star Wars films have there been, you know what I mean? Or James Bond films. If there’s a great character and story to tell, why not?”
While it may be a bit much, and certainly a bit early, tocompare Mary Poppins to James Bond, the P.L. Travers books do provide the studio with a lot of source material for further installments. So, at least from a story perspective, there would be something to explore. Adding fuel to the fire, producer John DeLuca indicated that Emily Blunt would like to return for another installment, while also indicating that he thinks another movie is certainly possible.
“Emily does light up when she speaks to me about it. And if the people want it, I think it will happen.”
But that “if the people want it” bit could be the sticking point. Mary Poppins Returns is sure to get at least a fewOscar nominationsand, just looking at the gross, it appears as though it’s been doing quite well at the box office. To date, the sequel has earned $260 million, which is great for a modern musical. However, the production comes with a massive $130 million reported price tag. Taking that into account, this movie needs to make a lot more money before it actually will become a profitable endeavor forDisney.
Should Mary Poppins Returns actually get some Oscars love, that will give it some legs at thebox office, which could help There’s also the matter of Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who are both very in-demand talents.Mary Poppins 3would rely on both of them coming back and scheduling could become an issue. But if Disney wants it to happen, they’ll almost surely find a way to make it happen. This news was first reported byThe Sun.
