Mary Poppins Returns [2018] (1 disc)

Random Trivia For This Title:

• The film's cast includes two Oscar winners: Colin Firth and Meryl Streep; and three Oscar nominees: Angela Lansbury, Julie Walters, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• Cate Blanchett was rumored to play Mary Poppins before Emily Blunt was cast.
• Blake Lively was considered for Mary Poppins.
• A fan petition was made to get Michael Rooker to cameo in the movie, after his role as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) had him imitating Mary Poppins.
• For the song "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" Lin-Manuel Miranda got Jack's hat throw on the first take which he did during rehearsal which ended up in the film.
• Colin Firth and Angela Lansbury previously appeared in Nanny McPhee (2005), which was also about a nanny with magical powers. McPhee herself was played by Emma Thompson, who played Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks (2013). Lansbury also played Mrs. Potts in the 1991 animated original of Beauty and the Beast (1991), the same role that Thompson also portrayed in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast (2017).
• Emily Blunt dove into P.L. Travers' books, and found out that the character is remarkably different from Walt Disney's vision and Julie Andrews' characterization in the first Mary Poppins (1964) movie, so Blunt's interpretation is closer to the books.
• Julie Walters (Ellen) has admittedly been confused for original Mary Poppins performer Julie Andrews throughout her entire career. She has even gone on to sign her autograph and quote "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious " to strangers, in fear of embarrassing people excited to meet Andrews.
• In the song 'A Cover is Not the Book,' the verses about Nellie Rubina and the King and the Dirty Rascal reference characters from 'Mary Poppins Comes Back' that were not featured in either of the films.
• Author P.L. Travers was very critical of the first Mary Poppins (1964) film, especially the music and animation. However, towards the end of her life, she authorized the creation of a stage production by Sir ^[?] Cameron Mackintosh and Walt Disney Theatrical based on the film and her novels, with the stipulation that no one involved in the creation of the film (particularly the Sherman brothers) be involved, and even included these requirements in her will. Although she passed away in 1996, the play successfully debuted in 2004. Largely as a result of this reconciliation, Walt Disney Studios was able to restart negotiations with Travers' estate, which resulted in authorization for this film.
• Julie Andrews, who portrayed the titular character in Mary Poppins (1964), endorsed the casting of Emily Blunt as her successor, calling it a "wonderful" casting decision. Blunt said it was "lovely" to receive Andrews' stamp of approval, and actually cried tears of joy when she found out about Andrews' reaction.
• Was released 54 years after Mary Poppins (1964), setting a new record as the longest gap between a live-action film and its sequel.
• In order to execute the bathtub scene, a hole was carved under the tub to insert a water slide that leads to a basement.
• It was director Rob Marshall's intention, right from the beginning, to use hand-drawn animation for the film's animation sequences. This was due to his love for hand-drawn animation and also to pay homage to the first film. The Disney executives, on the other hand, initially wanted the film to have computer animation for its animated sequences, which infuriated Marshall. He then fought hard to convince the Disney executives to let him use hand-drawn animation, and he also argued why it would be the right choice to use for the film. Ultimately, the Disney executives gave in and allowed Marshall to use hand-drawn animation for the film. This is the very first time since Winnie the Pooh (2011) that the studio used hand-drawn animation.
• When Karen Dotrice who played Jane Banks in the original Mary Poppins (1964) makes her cameo, before leaving she says, "Many thanks, sincerely." In the original film this is the phrase Jane and Michael Banks use at the end of their letter requesting a new nanny.
• At the age of 93 at the time of the movie's release, Angela Lansbury is the oldest female actor ever to appear in a Disney film. She is just two months older than the oldest male actor in a Disney film, Dick Van Dyke, who also set the record with this film.
• Julie Andrews turned down a proposed cameo appearance as the balloon lady, fearing that it would be too distracting from Emily Blunt's performance. Julie said, "this is Emily's show, and I really want it to be Emily's show." Quite poetically, the balloon lady part went to Angela Lansbury, who had been considered for the titular role of Mary Poppins (1964) in the original film before Julie Andrews was cast.
• When Mary Poppins (1964) was being written, the lead role was offered to Julie Andrews by Walt Disney himself. Andrews told Disney that she was pregnant and couldn't do the movie. Disney wanted Andrews so much that he postponed the production in order to accommodate Andrews' pregnancy. When this movie was announced, the history repeated as Emily Blunt was also pregnant and the movie was postponed to accommodate her pregnancy.
• Dick Van Dyke was offered four options for his dance scene, each with a varying degree of difficulty. He insisted on performing the hardest dance routine and refused any help from fellow cast members while filming the scene.
• Since Dick Van Dyke looks younger than his 93 years, Disney used old age makeup and hair to make him look slightly older.