Mary Poppins is headed back to the screen, Deadline reports.
Tom Winchester, who produced the recent television adaptation of James Clavell’s Shōgun and is currently producing an adaptation of Barry Eisler’s John Rain novels, is developing a series based on P. L. Travers’ children’s books. The new series will present a darker version of the title character than the famous 1964 film adaptation, in keeping with the tone of Travers’ books.
Travers’ series began in 1934 with Mary Poppins, which introduced readers to the title character, a strict London nanny with magical powers who takes care of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Seven more novels followed, culminating with Mary Poppins and the House Next Door in 1988.
The series was memorably adapted for the 1964 musical film, directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The movie, which features a gentler version of the titular nanny, was a box office hit and won five Academy Awards, including a best actress trophy for Andrews and a best original song prize for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”
A sequel to the film, Mary Poppins Returns, loosely inspired by Travers’ books, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ben Whishaw, was released in 2018.
Winchester has optioned the screen rights from Travers’ estate, Deadline reports, and he plans to develop the series through his Pure Fiction Television production company. A search for showrunners is currently under way.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
