Emily Blunt introduced as Mary Poppins in first look

Los Angeles March 4 (IANS) The first picture of Hollywood actress Emily Blunt in a character from the sets of Mary Poppins Returns has been unveiled.

The 34-year-old is set to play the magical nanny in the sequel to the 1964 Disney musical film. Set for release around Christmas 2018 the 54-year age gap is one of the longest between sequels in film history. The film will be set in 1935 during London s Great Depression 20 years after the original reports dailymail.co.uk. Directed and produced by Rob Marshall Mary Poppins Returns also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda Ben Whishaw Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. The film which introduces three new Banks children played by Pixie Davies Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. In the story Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up with Michael his three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters) living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss the nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family and along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. The first look shows that Poppins s classic style has not changed in two decades as she still rocks a similar hat coat gloves and shoes. Her bottomless carpet bag still accompanies her everywhere but parrot-headed flying umbrella is missing. --IANS sug/rb/vm