Angela Lansbury Joins The Cast Of Mary Poppins Returns

02/17/2017 03:54 pm EST

Disney is bringing the beloved Mary Poppins character back for another go, and another Disney alum has joined the anticipated sequel.

Five-time Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury has joined the cast of Mary Poppins Returns, a film that already boasts top stars like Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Meryl Streep. Lansbury will play the role of the Balloon Lady, a character directly from PL Travers' series of Mary Poppins books. Lansbury is no stranger to Disney projects, as she also starred in the classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and of course as the beloved Mrs. Potts in the animated Beauty And The Beast. That classic film is getting a live action remake, which is currently scoring a 3.61 out of 5 on ComicBook.com's anticipation rankings.

Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers' additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help THE FAMILY rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep).

The cast also includes Colin Firth plays William Weatherall Wilkins, the man who runs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, and Dick Van Dyke plays Mr. Dawes Jr., the chairman of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, as well as three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, and newcomer Joel Dawson.

It's being directed and produced by Oscar-nominee, Emmy and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall (Into the Woods, Chicago). The screenplay is by Oscar-nominee David Magee (Life of Pi), based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. Oscar-nominee and Tony-winner Marc Shaiman (Hairspray) is composing an original score and co-writing all new songs with Emmy-nominee and Tony-winner Scott Wittman (Hairspray).

Marry Poppins Returns is slated for a December 25, 2018, release. Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast hits on March 17, 2017.

MORE MARY POPPINS: Dick Van Dyke Role Revealed / Disney Begins Production Of Mary Poppins Sequel / Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda Discusses Mary Poppins Returns

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