Chim chimney! Chim chimney! Chim chim cher-oo!
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Within The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Creative Until You Die” story — which focuses on famous nonagenarians in the entertainment-industry that have no interest in retiring — Dick Van Dyke confirmed that he will appear in Mary Poppins Returns, Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming sequel to the 1964 classic starring Julie Andrews (in the title role) and Van Dyke (as Bert, a cockney jack-of-all-trades).
“This one supposedly takes place 20 years later and the kids are all grown up,” the 91-year-old actor said. “It’s a great cast — Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and that guy [Lin-Manuel Miranda] from Hamilton.”
Since the film takes place 20 years later and Emily Blunt is now playing the magical nanny, Van Dyke won’t be reprising the role of Bert. Then again, being a chimney sweep back then (or at anytime) could certainly make someone age more rapidly than others.
Golden Globe Award winner Emily Blunt (Into the Woods) has been cast as Mary Poppins and Emmy, GRAMMY, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights) will play a new character, a street lamplighter named Jack. Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
The cast also includes Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as William Weatherall Wilkins, the president of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, and the legendary Dick Van Dyke.
The film is being directed by Oscar nominee, Emmy and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee John DeLuca and Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt. The screenplay will be written by Oscar nominee David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers, with Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman composing an all-new score and Shaiman and Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Scott Wittman writing original songs.
Mary Poppins Returns will be released on December 25, 2018.
