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Let's be Blunt: Fans are stoked for 'Mary Poppins Returns'

One of the biggest hits at D23 was "Mary Poppins Returns."

An Image from “Mary Poppins returns” starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
An Image from “Mary Poppins returns” starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.Read moreDisney

Besides Marvel Studios and LucasFilm offerings, the film that got the most passionate response at D23 and has managed to carry that momentum afterward is Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt.

Yes, it got a bigger reaction than A Wrinkle In Time, The Incredibles 2 and everything else.

This shouldn't be surprising. Adjusted for inflation, the original Mary Poppins is the 27th most popular film of all time, generating $695 million domestically in today's dollars. That is more than such all-time blockbusters as The Avengers ($683 million), The Dark Knight ($661 million), the original Ghostbusters ($632 million) and the original Spider-Man ($617 million).

In short, it has a much bigger fanbase than people realize, spanning generations.

Toss in the "Mary Poppins" reference in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, fan-favorite Emily Blunt as the title character and a big role for Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the excitement for the film is palpable.

Will it deliver? Well, the film seems to feature a fresh sensibility regarding the character while celebrating the spirit of the original. When fans were treated to a moving image of the practically-perfect nanny in a cobalt blue nanny coat and red hat with her iconic parrot head umbrella I hand, they responded with anticipation and continue to do so on social media.

As Blunt said of her challenge at D23, "I needed to pay homage to Julie Andrews but carve out a new space for myself. And we were very loyal to the books."

Rob Marshall, the film's director/producer, added "I was incredible honored to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel. "This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen."

Mary Poppins Returns is scheduled to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2018.