After months of speculation, Disney confirmed in May thatEmily BluntandHamiltoncreator/starLin Manuel-Mirandahave signed on to star in Disney’sMary Poppins Returns. The casting reunitedEmily Bluntwith herInto the WoodsdirectorRob Marshall, and now it seems that another star from that musical has come aboard for this project. Oscar winnerMeryl Streepis in talks to join the cast as Topsy,Mary Poppins' cousin.
Varietyreports thatMeryl Streepwill be singing once again in this movie, much like her role as The Witch in Disney’sInto the Woods, which landed the actress her record-breaking 19th Oscar nomination. Topsy is said to be a supporting role, and a character that wasn’t featured in the originalMary Poppinsmovie that debuted in 1964. Topsy does appear in authorP.L. Travers' subsequent books.
Topsy Tartlet is introduced inP.L. Travers' 1935 novelMary Poppins Comes Back, who becomes a cousin toMary Poppinsthrough marriage after Topsy marries Arthur Turvey, which changes her name to Topsy Turvey. No details have been given for her role in this movie, or how the character may be changed from the books to the movie. The screenplay will be written by Oscar nomineeDavid Mageebased on The Mary Poppins Stories byP.L. Travers, with Oscar nominee and Tony Award winnerMarc Shaimancomposing an all-new score andShaimanand Emmy nominee and Tony Award winnerScott Wittmanwriting original songs for this Disney adaptation.
Blunthas been cast asMary PoppinsandLin-Manuel Mirandawill play a new character, a street lamplighter named Jack. Drawing from the wealth of material inP.L. Travers' seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmaticMary Poppinsfollowing a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Disney has set a August 22, 2025 release date forMary Poppins Returns, but we don’t know when production will begin quite yet. As of now, the movie’s only direct competition is an untitled Warner Bros.' “event film,” with Sony releasing their animatedSpider-Manmovie on July 23, 2025.Meryl Streepwill next be seen portraying the title character in Paramount’sFlorence Foster Jenkins, hitting theaters August 12.
