I suspect that I am about to ignite a flame-war, but I never really gave a crap about Mary Poppins. My favorite musicals, as a kid, were The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. Like, it really bothered me that Hollywood (with Emma Thompson’s help) was at one point going to do a remake of My Fair Lady. The idea of that being remade is like someone ripping apart my childhood. But Mary Poppins? Who cares if they remake that? And that’s sort of what they are going to do.
On Monday, Disney announced that they would be making another live-action Mary Poppins film, but it wouldn’t be a remake per se. They would base the new film on P.L. Travers’ other Mary Poppins books, setting the film in Depression-era London about 20 years after the original Mary Poppins film, and it will feature Mary’s “further adventures with the Banks family.” The film will be directed by Rob Marshall and new songs and a new score will be written for the film. So, not a strict remake, and they will be casting a new Mary. So who will play the new Mary Poppins?
With the news Monday that Disney is developing a new live-action musical film featuring Mary Poppins, people are already starting to wonder who could possibly play the practically perfect nanny.
And, it seems, some are already placing bets on the subject. BoyleSports, an Ireland-based online betting firm, announced Tuesday that Anne Hathaway is the current favorite to pick up Poppins’ bag and umbrella, with 6/4 odds.
Other actresses in “contention,” at least as far as bettors are concerned, are leading ladies with vocal chops like Emily Blunt (5/2), Amy Adams (7/2), Kristen Bell (11/2), and Anna Kendrick (10/1). More actresses who made BoyleSports’ list include Amanda Seyfried (12/1), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (16/1), Lea Michele (33/1), and Anna Camp (50/1).
In that list, I would put money on… Anna Kendrick, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, in that order. My only qualm is that it wouldn’t be crazy if they went with a total unknown – when Julie Andrews was cast as Mary Poppins, she was a virtual unknown in Hollywood (but well regarded in London for her stage work). The only reason Andrews got the Poppins role was because the studio didn’t want to cast her as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, after Andrews had played the role to such acclaim on stage. I would say Anne has an edge because her relationship with Andrews gives her an implicit “blessing.” I think Kendrick’s edge is that she’s worked with Rob Marshall before and she has the best singing voice out of the short list. And Emily Blunt’s edge is that she’s really British. Hm… now I’m reconsidering Amy Adams. Damn, this is hard! Who should play the new Poppins?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Dunno about this – i like her as an actress and she can sing well enough but an unknown would be better otherwise its Anne Hathaway being Anne Hathaway.
Out of the list in the article its either Emily, Amy or Anna for me.
I actually would contend for Anna more than Anne. Just imagine if Anne gets it, she’s going to be working for those movie awards…hard.
Everyone except Lea Michele is a good idea
Emily Blunt all the way! She has the accent and sings like an angel! <3
I second Emily Blunt!
Yea, poppins needs to be prim and brit. I third emily
Me three! Emily Blunt – she looks the part!
In the books Mary Poppins is quite stern, not the sweet sugary Andrews kind.
I think it will be successful if they get back to the books and make it more edgy with more of British humor and not try to remake Andrews version.
In the movie, Mary wasn’t warm and sugary though. She was practical, kept her distance. The spoonful of sugar thing isn’t indicative of her personality, just a song. She was fun at times, but the children always seemed whipped back and forth by her being fun and magic, and just as they got into it, she’d bring the practicality back and leave them with blue balls. Just as she seemed to care or get close, she would close off and put a wall up. The only sweet vulnerable side we see is with Burt.
I like Emily for MP too. She has a warm face, similar to Julie’s.
Really? I think she has such a cold face. Like Cate Blanchett.
I cosign on Emily, with Anna as 2nd choice.
Now who will play Burt? I think Hiddles would do a good job with the singing now that he’s had some ISTL vocal training. He’s got good comedic timing too. And the boy can DANCE.
+1,000
Emily Blunt. No Anne Hathaway. I have not recovered from her woebegone singing in Les Mis. Which isn’t as powerful as Patty Lupone or even Lea Salonga btw.
It is not even fair to compare Anne H to them. I saw Lea S. Live and my jaw dropped!!!
I think Amy Adams would do the role justice. She can act and she can sing and she is great in everything she does. And I would love it if they did this – I adored all the books and often wondered why they didn’t film all of them. I wouldn’t consider it a remake at all if they just filmed the other books.
Not Hathaway or Adams – too sweet. Emily Blunt is the one.
They didn’t film anymore Poppins book because PL Travers refused to sign off on any sequels. She hated the movie btw.
Don’t care. Wasn’t a fan either, but the musical does have an interesting subtext about women’s suffrage that’s useful history for a new generation.
Just no. I care if they remake this and ruin it my childhood. I freaking care. Jerks.
Agree. There is only one Mary Poppins and that is Julie Andrews. Why must they remake everything? Shouldn’t some films just remain the classics they are? You summed up my daughter’s feelings pretty well, she thinks they’re jerks as well.
Exactly. This movie is practically perfect in every way !
Don’t mess with it. It makes me so sad
I agree. How can you top the original? Leave a classic a classic.
+1 for this!! Mary Poppins was my favorite musical growing up. Why can’t they just come up with some totally original movie ideas and leave our beloved classics alone?? Ugh Hollywood.
I agree. At least it isn’t a total remake. But more to the point of Mary – who will play Bert? Hugh Jackman?
Obviously, you are my people. I’m distraught that they’re going to remake this. It’s perfect. Why can’t they remake something else.
Also, this role is so nuanced. This character is a child’s dream caretaker, while being wonderfully…bitchy to parents.
They’ll make a mess of it. Watch. 🙁
Who would even dare to think they could touch upon Julie Andrews? Seriously, that’s who you’re going to be compared to and she is perfection!
As long as their British accent isn’t for s**t. Looking at you Dick Van Dyke. I rather see either Hathaway or Blunt in the role. Kendrick does nothing for me .
Kendrick does nothing for me either.
Any of the others, I like for the part, even Hathaway. But Blunt would be the best.
I loved Dick Van Dyke in that movie!
Dick was fantastic! I couldn’t imagine the movie without him, even with the questionable accent.
Agreed! How could you slight him! He’s so charming
I agree with the Kendrick sentiment. She gets on my nerves with everything she does. She is way too peppy/perky in everything she has done. I saw ‘Into the Woods’ musical and I cringed during her scenes. Not that she was doing a poor job, she is just super annoying with her constant “cutesy” act IMO.
My fair lady was one of my favorites too, and my soundtrack (the Julie Andrews version) was well worn. She’s is irreplaceable and perfection.
Mary Poppins holds a special place in my heart too though, and to have Anne Hathaway crap all over it? Well, she isn’t succeeding at attempting to keep her partly mended public opinion now, is she? That would surely destroy her further.
My Fair Lady didn’t impress me much when I was a kid. Neither did The Sound Of Music. But Mary Poppins was great.
Anne would be perfect. Perfect. Both Anna and Emily can sing, but lack warmth.
Anne would be amazing.
I didn’t like My Fair Lady as a movie because I knew Audrey Hepburn wasn’t singing. I’ve seen a re-done version with Hepburn singing and she’s fine. She’s no Julie Andrews (who is?) and she’s not even a Marni Nixon (the voice dubbed over hers in the movie), but she’s fine.
Love, love, love Hepburn’s natural voice (a la Moon River as well), it would have been entirely appropriate for her Eliza, and wish like crazy they’d had the foresight to keep hers vs. the generic go-to Nixon’s.
Vote no for Anne and Anna. Especially Anne. Please no
Julie Andrews wasn’t an unknown in Hollywood..she had been starring on Broadway for years in two big hits, and that’s where the studios found their musical talent at that time. Anyway, I find it funny that people bet on this stuff..
I don’t hate it, Anne has the face for it.
I’m sorry I’m just an old school Anne fan at heart, I can’t help it.
I agree with Celebitchy that Anne would be too Anne as Mary Poppins. I like Emily Blunt or Anna Kendrick in this role. And Julie Andrews should have been given My Fair Lady. Beautiful, clear voice.
I’m not her fan, but I think of everyone mentioned, she has the most “Mary Poppins” face as well, I agree with you.
I think Anne would make a great Mary Poppins! But then again, I’m biased because I’m a huge fan. Anna Kendrick might end up getting it though, she’s a great singer and people seem to like her more than Anne Hathaway.
I think people will be more endeared to Anne after ‘The Intern’ comes out, atleast I am hoping. She got so much hate after Les Mis bc she pushed for the Oscar too hard…but Anna tries so hard, I feel like she brings her ‘Pitch Perfect’ vibe to every role. I would be in camp Anne over Anna on this one. Also like the idea of Amy Adams for the role. She is hard to dislike in any role and doesn’t overdo it on screen.
Anne > Anna
I like all of these actresses, and the answer is: none of them. Just stop re-making movies, Hollywood. I mean I realise y’all have expensive lifestyles to maintain and all that coke isn’t going to snort itself, but YOU ARE RUINING IT. STAHP.
Haha literally just posted this too. I obviously completely agree
Plus Rob Marshall’s muscials have been crap. Sorry, 9, Into the Woods all boring crap.
There are still clever, funny, engaging original musicals (although those are getting rarer with rent increases for blackbox theatres) on Off and Off-Off Bway… but they need a champion to fight for them and investors with balls of steel to back them.
Bway itself suffers from remakeitis; combined with studios taking the easy remake way out, they both make me livid.
I am completely over Anna Kenderick and shes not even in that much. Something about her makes me ragey and this sounds weird but I feel like shes too sarcastic for Mary Poppins (I know, I know Andrews curses like a sailor) but I dont think Kenderick can turn it off and be like Poppins.
Heres a solution- STOP MAKING REMAKES
She will just look the same as everything else she’s been in and won’t be believable.
I like Anna Kendrick in person-she’s guest judged on SYTYCD and been super charming. But she was my least favorite character in Pitch Perfect, completely forgettable in Into the Woods, and her voice while cute is very thin. She has very little range & can’t project at all.
I adore Julie Andrews and Mary Poppins, and grew up on musicals. My favorites are My Fair Lady (the costumes!), Gigi (Leslie Caron was so freaking adorable), and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (the dancing!), but have never been a fan of Sound of Music (or Grease-meh). But I think I’m ok with a SEQUEL as long as it’s not a REMAKE. I think Blunt would be best but I think I could settle for AnnE. AnnE as Mary Poppons would be like full circle back to Princess Diaries. 🙂
Off topic, but has anyone seen the new trailer for the live action Jungle Book coming out in Spring? I was super skeptical but it looks SO good!
Hathaway has already played Mary Poppins…in a rather hilarious SNL sketch. Should be available on Yahoo Screen.
Well this will be a Battle of the twees and Adorbs actresses
I can’t stand Anna Kendrick.
+1
It’s been a long time since I’ve read the Travers books but I remember Mary Poppins being more quirky crusty no-nonsense “witch” like a younger Professor McGonagall or Nanny McPhee and not at all Julie Andrews spoonful of sugar. Probably why I never liked the movie. If they stick close to the text, I vote Anna Kendrick.
Yes! Agree completely. I don’t like the movie, it is too much. The books are very different.
I like to see something more along the liens of Pippi Longstocking.
There are movie ( about Pippi) that hasn’t been made, and why?
YES to Pippi Longstocking remake – with the right actress of course.
I could barely tolerate these old movies during my childhood. There’s no way I’m sitting through a “Disney Broadway musical” movie.
Julie Andrews has barely aged, why not cast her? Except for the voice, sadly.
I’m the opposite of an Emily Blunt fan, but apparently I’m Team Blunt this week (well, technically, I’m always Team blunt…but I digress…). Out of the names mentioned, it HAS to go to Blunt. She IS Mary Poppins (book version). It might be the role she was “made for.”
Mary Poppins is still my favorite movie of all time and has been for over 30 years. That and Singin in the Rain. So this hurts my heart. And I had thought the Travers estate ruled out any further Disney involvement with Mary Poppins?
But if I have to think about someone else being Mary Poppins on screen, what about Kristen Bell? Thinking of her Funny or Die parody of course.
Finally! Someone mentioned Kristen Bell. I think she would be perfect for the role, much more than all the other actresses listed.
Anyone but Hathaway. I will not be able to tolerate the saccharine-ness of it all. How about an unknown?
I’d LOVE to see Gugu Mbatha-Raw, it would be amazing, she can act, sing plus she’s British but I know it’s not going to happen so… Emily Blunt or Amy Adams?
She’s absolutely amazing! I loved her in Beyond the Lights. If not this, I’d like to see her in something else really soon!
They also didn’t think Julie Andrews was pretty enough to be Eliza Dolittle in film.
Out of these choices, ugh, I go with Blunt as well. But they’re all sugary sweet IMO. But Blunt can bring The B when needed, so guess. How about an unknown actor? What’s wrong with putting in some work and casting people with talent who can play the part and not just somebody you know!
I don’t get the Anna K dislike- she’s a good actress and a very good singer. I can see her doing a great MP- but shouldn’t MP be older in a sequel? Like cast a woman in her 40s- oops, never mind-what was I thinking? LOL
I like Kendrick. I definitely prefer her over some other actresses. But for Mary Poppins she would be my second choice after Blunt. Blunt is British and she really suits that role.
I hated Mary Poppins as a child. I’m not sure this would be a good move for Anne Hathaway, but perhaps I’m biased because I thought the movie was so hokey. I loved My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. Mary Poppins just made me want to slap somebody.
Hollywood DID make a “remake” of “My Fair Lady.” It’s called “Pretty Woman.”
It’s a terrible idea in the first place. This film does not need to be made. But if they must, go with Emily. Anne H. has tried to do various English accents in several projects and they’ve all been horrible and laughable.
Kristen Bell, hands-down! Did you see this? (Ignore the politics and just go with the Mary Poppins goodness!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlTO8ggfes8
Emily Blunt. Absolutely.
Emily Blunt or Anne Hathaway would be perfect (a Poppins sister could show up! jk)
NO to Anna Kendrick. She was my least fave part of Into the Woods. Sure she can sing and all that, but she’s just like a CW actress to me. Meaning, doesn’t get into a role—looks the same in every role—just looks pretty and keeps that same look regardless of what role it is. Too much makeup and hair. meh.
20 years later. Anyone? Anyone read that part???
I’d vote Emma Thompson if she hadn’t already done the magical-British-nanny thing in Nanny McPhee.
Can we stop ruining my childhood now?
Headline should read, “another beloved classic role to be ruined by Anne Hathaway’s overwrought mouth acting.”
LMAO!
Perfect!
Dick van Dyke and Julie Andrews should both reprise their roles.
who could possibly top them?
and they are both each still camera ready and agile.
set when they’ve aged. ..
might be perfect!
just saying.
Exactly! Just set it 40 years later, instead of 20 (so, 1950) and they are good to go! Love them both so much.
Im glad its not a strict remake. Because that film still holds up to this day.
Why do they want it to be a musical, though, and not just a movie? Musicals don’t do that well. I wish they just made a movie with magic, fun, dry humor and some songs in it.
I think they should go with a Brit, but not Blunt. And someone in her mid-30s to mid-40s, because if it’s set 20 years later, the Banks children would be in their 30s and it would be odd for Mary to be almost the same age as them. Also, hopefully, it’ll be a professional singer and actress with mostly musical theater experience.
I don’t understand why Hollywood does so many remakes, but I understand even less why people are so bothered by them. The source material is still there for you to watch and nobody is forcing you to watch this movie. How your childhood memories can be ruined by the release of a movie is beyond me.
I vet a bit emotional lnowing they will remake Mary Poppins. There is no need…
That being said, my choices are: Kristen Bell, Amy, Anna or Emily (Anne H. Sings better, but I think Rmily can bring the character to life).
samantha barks!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I don’t know why but I think that Anne is gonna receive even more hate if she does sugary-Mary Poppins.. I’d love to see Amy Adams doing it, but since she already did ‘Enchanted’ I doubt she will.. I love Anna Kendrick but I don’t see her in it, same with Kristen Bell.