Mary Poppins Returns: Emily Blunt was 'Frozen with Fear' When She was Asked to Replace Julie Andrews

It's been decades since Mary Poppins graced the silver screen, but she returns this Christmas in the form of Emily Blunt. With Julie Andrews making such an iconic performance of the character, Blunt opens up about the pressure that she felt when she was first offered the role.

Talking to Daily Mail, Blunt explained:

"When [director] Rob Marshall called me about this role he left a cryptic message, so I called him back and when he uttered the name Mary Poppins, I thought, ‘Wow!' I was filled with a mixture of two emotions – I was obviously very excited, but I was also frozen with fear because, well, Mary herself is so iconic, and Julie Andrews is so iconic, too. All I could do was try to see Julie's version as just sort of white noise and try to find my own version of Mary. And what a gift of a character she is!"

With the teaser that's come out, we still can't really say anything about Blunt's version of the character, but hopefully we'll get to see more of Mary Poppins when we get a full trailer.

Joining Blunt will be a star-studded cast which includes the likes of Colin Firth, Meryl Streeo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily Mortimer, and Ben Whishaw. Even original cast member Dick Van Dyke is going to make an appearance in the film. Fingers crossed that we get a small cameo from Julie Andrews.

Here's the official synopsis of Mary Poppins Returns:

In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following 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.

Mary Poppins Returns to cinemas Dec. 25.

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