Mary Poppins might be practically perfect in every way, but she’s not really one to mince words. So, if P. L. Travers’ beloved prim and proper character doesn’t care for the person that you’ve chosen to play her in the planned reboot/sequel-type thing, then you can expect a harsh upbraiding. However, Rob Marshall (director of the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns) had a chance to run his casting decision past the magical nanny herself—or, rather, actress Julie Andrews, who is theoretically a separate entity—while the two were summering in the Hamptons recently. Luckily, Emily Blunt has been deemed worthy of blowing in on the East Wind, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Blunt relayed the grand news herself: “‘It’s top secret, but Emily Blunt’s playing Mary Poppins,’” Marshall reportedly told the 80-year-old Oscar winner. “And she went, ‘Oh, wonderful!’”
“I felt like I wanted to cry,” Blunt told EW of Andrews’ benediction. “It was lovely to get her stamp of approval. That took the edge off it, for sure.” The 33-year-old Sicario star admitted that she had been nervous about stepping into such an iconic role originated by such a towering entertainer. “I feel a little more trepidation with this [character] because she’s so emblematic of people’s nostalgia. It’s such an important character in people’s childhood.”