Ensuring that no corner of its upcoming Mary Poppins Returns is devoid of whimsical old-school Britishness, Disney has announced that Angela Lansbury has been cast in the Emily Blunt-starring sequel. Lansbury—whose past Disney collaborations include Bedknobs And Broomsticks and Beauty And The Beast—will play the Balloon Lady, a beloved character from P.L. Travers’ original Mary Poppins books.
Lansbury joins a cast that includes Blunt as the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious nanny herself, along with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, and a small appearance from the original films’ Dick Van Dyke. Set in Depression-era London, the film sees Poppins return to once again inject some joy into the lives of a now-adult Jane and Michael Banks, and is set for a Christmas 2018 release.