Julie Andrews won’t be in the new Mary Poppins film – here’s why

Fifty-three years after Julie Andrews’ Mary Poppins was summoned to the Banks’ house by a torn-up letter, the next part of the story is about to be told.

The long-awaited sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, is slated for a Christmas 2018 release and sees the magical nanny return to Jane and Michael Banks 25 years later, following a family tragedy.

The fantasy comedy boasts a stellar cast with Emily Blunt stepping into the shoes made famous by Julie Andrews back in 1964.

Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer come back as the Banks children, now all grown up – even Dick Van Dyke will be making an appearance, albeit NOT as Bert (and hopefully without a cockney accent).

One notable absence, however, is Julie Andrews.

Given how beloved and iconic the original film was, it’s important to fans that the sequel gets the blessing and approval of old cast members.

So what does Andrews think of the follow-up to the film which made her name?

While the Oscar winning actor will not be appearing in the sequel, she has lent her full support to the project.

Given that Dick Van Dyke is getting involved, why not her?

Director Rob Marshall is good friends with the acting legend and can shed some light on this matter.

Marshall tells Entertainment Weekly : “Julie will always be, for me and for everybody, the most astonishing performance as Mary Poppins, winning the Oscar and bursting onto the scene so brilliantly.

“But Emily is the perfect person to carry the torch, and I know Julie feels the exact same way. She loves her.”

It’s precisely this admiration of Blunt which made Andrews’ mind up.

Marshall explains, “Julie was incredibly gracious, and we talked about it in a very general way but she made it clear right up front.

“She said, ‘This is Emily’s show, and I really want it to be Emily’s show. I don’t want it to be, “Oh, here comes that Mary Poppins.”

“‘I don’t want that. I really want her to take this and run with it, because she will be brilliant.'”

So there go, Julie Andrews will not be in the new Mary Poppins because she’s a class act.

Source: mirror.co.uk