Just two days ago I found out that Disney are planning to remake one of their most loved films: Mary Poppins. I figure this decision was made due to Disney's success with other remakes of their classic films such as Alice In Wonderland, Maleficent and Cinderella. Not to mention the highly anticipated remake of Beauty And The Beast set for release in 2017. So to remake Mary Poppins would make sense if they're continuing this trend.
Personally, I'm kinda 50/50 on this idea. I can understand why Disney would want to do it, and I believe, if they get a good director on it, the film could be a great hit that could live up to the original. However, the main reason I would take this with a grain of salt is that previous Disney remakes haven't really lived up to their predecessors. Alice In Wonderland may have grossed a Billion dollars in the worldwide Box Office but also met heavy criticism from audiences. As did Maleficent. But this was mainly because the films strayed too far from their source material up to the point where they were unable to recreate the same feeling of the originals. However, as I said before, it can be a good film. So I'm going to be listing a few things that would work for a Mary Poppins Remake:
1) Inspired by original novel: Disney's Mary Poppins is quite different from it's source material (Watch Saving Mr. Banks to understand fully) and this was mainly because the book has some darker tones than the film dared to express. So, in order to make the film stand out but still have the same feeling of the 1964 film. And it would fit very well with the other remakes as they too also took darker tones compared to their original films. Even the new trailer for the Jungle Book remake seems to be darker than the previous film with it's de-saturated colour tone. This would definitely help the film stand out on its own.
2) Get a good director: When I heard about the Mary Poppins remake I also heard that Disney were considering Rob Marshall for the role of director. Which I think is not a good idea at all. First off, Rob Marshall made the Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger's Tides (Pirates 4) which grossed over a billion worldwide. But the main reason for that was because it was a Pirates Of The Caribbean movie so audiences would go to see it. But, even then, the film the worst in the franchise which doesn't bode well for Marshall. Then there was his other Disney film Into The Woods in 2015, which I didn't really think was a good movie, it had amazing sets and costumes but the story was severely lacking. So I wouldn't hire Rob Marshall as director. I would suggest someone like Tom Hooper (Director of Les Miserables) As he created a very faithful and emotional film of the well-loved musical so I feel like, if he brought that attitude to Mary Poppins it could be a great film.
3) The Right Actress: The casting for Mary Poppins will potentially make or break the movie for most people. This is because it's the title character, one who generations have grown up loving. Not to mention how high the bar is due to the brilliant performance by Julie Andrews. Personally I'd recommend Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery. She has the look for Mary Poppins, she's proven she can play a sophisticated lady and she can sing (If they decide to make it a musical). Because of these aspects I believe she'd be a great choice for Mary Poppins and could match Julie Andrews' performance.
4) The Right Actor: Dick Van Dyke was a great performer in his day, which he clearly showed in the 1964 film. Giving Bert great a lovable character. However, his poor English accent is commonly mocked as... well it wasn't good. So I'd recommend finding an actor from London, or someone who can do a convincing Cockney accent. The best actor I could think of is David Tennant as he's full of charisma, which Bert needs, but it's highly unlikely he'd want the part if it required him to dance due to previous issues with his back whilst he was performing Hamlet. But there plenty of fine actors in the West End or Broadway who could potentially fill Dyke's shoes.
These are my four points which I believe would make this remake of Mary Poppins a great film. If you disagree with any points then feel free to comment. Also, if you like this blog, please follow. Thank you for reading!
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