Julie Andrews Is "Over The Moon" With The Mary Poppins Sequel
The actress gave Blunt's portrayal of the character a practically perfect review
Photo: Getty
Julie Andrews and Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews has given the Mary Poppins sequel a practically perfect review. The actress won an Oscar for her role as the world-famous nanny back in 1964, leaving Emily Blunt with some pretty impressive shoes to fill.
But she needn't worry, as Andrews was "over the moon" with her portrayal of the childhood character in the newly-released Mary Poppins Returns.
Related article: 17 Movies Based On Books That Book Lovers Can't Miss In 2018
The film's director Rob Marshall told Press Association, "She’s seen it, she said 'I loved it' in huge capital letters, and the email that she sent was literally, I can’t tell you how long and about everything."
"[It was] about Emily, she said Emily was wonderful, she loved her voice, she loved every single person in the cast, she was just over the moon about the whole thing," he continued. "I was relieved and thrilled."
Julie Andrews took on the role of Mary Poppins in the 1964 musical.Photo: Getty
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins
The director also revealed that when he told Andrews that Blunt would be taking on the role in the 2018 sequel, she exclaimed: "I love her!"
The newly-released film is set in 1934, during the time of the Great Depression. The Banks family children, Jane and Michael, are now adults with their own children. But when Michael suffers a family tragedy, Mary swoops in to give a helping hand.
Related article: 13 Of Emily Blunt And John Krasinksi's Cutest Couple Moments
Shot in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the sequel is in Blunt's words "emblematic of England" but her portrayal of Poppins is far from Andrew's interpretation. In fact, she decided purposefully not to re-watch the 1964 film when preparing for the role.
"Even though I’d seen the film as a child, I decided not to watch it when prepping," she told us in her January issue cover interview. "She was so clear to me from reading that I decided not to be intimidated by the iconic Julie Andrews in the iconic role, and just approached it as I would any other part."
Related article: Prince George's Nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo Is A Real Life Mary Poppins
Though she needn't have worried, as the beloved musical is still the spoonful of sugar audiences crave 53 years on.
This article originally appeared on Harper's Bazaar UK.