'Mary Poppins' series based on original books in the works
What's the story
A new television series based on the beloved character Mary Poppins is in development, per Deadline. The show will not be a remake of Disney's 1960s film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke but will instead draw inspiration from PL Travers's original eight Mary Poppins books. The character in these novels is often described as more enigmatic and unpredictable than her cinematic counterpart.
Series details
The show will explore the 'stranger world' of Poppins
The upcoming series will delve into the "larger, stranger world she created," with stories that are "magical, surreal, and sometimes frightening."
Tom Winchester of Pure Fiction Television is developing and producing the show on behalf of Travers's estate trustees.
Early-stage discussions with Disney are reportedly underway. However, it's unclear if Disney will join the project given its history with the intellectual property (IP).
Disney's history
Disney's history with 'Mary Poppins' franchise
Disney has a long history with the Mary Poppins franchise, having adapted Travers's books into the Oscar-winning musical starring Andrews and Van Dyke.
However, Travers was openly critical of Disney's interpretation in the 1964 film, which led to their fallout being depicted in the movie Saving Mr. Banks.
Disney also produced a sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, in 2018.
Producer's background
Winchester's previous work includes adapting legacy IPs
Winchester is no stranger to adapting legacy intellectual property.
He was a producer on the first season of FX's Emmy-winning series Shogun, based on James Clavell's novel of the same name.
He is also working on a series for Apple TV based on Barry Eisler's popular John Rain assassin book series.