Emily Blunt May Take On the Role of Mary Poppins in Upcoming Disney Sequel

Film favorite Emily Blunt is in talks to take on the lead role in a Disney-produced sequel to the film Mary Poppins, according to Variety. As previously announced, Broadway director Rob Marshall, who worked with Blunt on Disney's recent film adaption of Into the Woods, is likely to helm the film. Into the Woods producers John DeLuca and Marc Platt will also produce the Poppins movie.

Blunt is known for her work on movies including The Devil Wears Prada, Edge of Tomorrow, and last year's Sicario, as well as many others. Blunt's husband, actor John Krasinski, will begin performances opposite Claire Danes in the Public Theater's production of Sarah Burgess' Dry Powder next month.

In addition to Into the Woods, Marshall has previously helmed a film adaptation of the musical Chicago. His many Broadway credits include Tony nominations for choreography for Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, Damn Yankees, Cabaret, and Little Me as well as a Tony nod for Best Direction for Cabaret.

The new look at Mary Poppins is rumored to be set 20 years after the first film. It will continue to take story lines from P.L. Travers' children books and focus on the nanny's interactions with the Banks family. The original film musical version of Mary Poppins was released in 1964 and starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Disney's Broadway musical version of the story ran at the New Amsterdam Theatre from 2006-2013.