As a part of the Disney live-action portion of the D23 Expo, we got to learn a little bit more about Mary Poppins Returns. So far, the mass public has seen only promotional images, so everyone was on edge to see some real footage, which would be a first for everyone in attendance. The film is considered a sequel to the original, with Emily Blunt now playing the titular character. In it, we will see her help the Banks family in their desperate time of need once more. Director Rob Marshall joined Blunt on the stage to talk about the film and share the very first footage.

P.L. Travers may not have been a fan of her Marry Poppins novels being turned into a film, but Disney’s Mary Poppins has left behind a legacy that makes the adaptation one of the greatest Disney films of all time. It has been 53 years since the release of the musical, and now, in a day and age where sequels are the norm, Disney is following up Mary Poppins with Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt as the title character.

It will be a while before we see anything substantial, but the film does come out this year, leaving a few wondering when we will see anything. Well, after the studio dropped that teaser photo a few months back, three new images have popped online. Check it out below.

We are still over a year away from the release of Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the 1964 musical hit Mary Poppins. Based on PL Travers‘ works, the film follows the title character as she returns to London to help Michael rediscover joy after he suffers a personal heavy loss. Emily Blunt takes on the title role once played by Julie Andrews, and she will be accompanied by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Meryl Streep. The film is still in production, but Disney has released our very first look of Blunt as Mary Poppins. Check it out here below.

Production for Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns has begun. Directed by Rob Marshall (Into The Woods), the sequel to the 1964 musical will see the return of the title character (now played by Emily Blunt) as she re-enters the lives of the Banks’ children, who are now older, after Michael (Ben Whishaw) suffers a personal loss. With the help of the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), she will us “her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.” Find out more about the film, the cast, and its plot in the full story here below.

Walt Disney Records’ Legacy Collection’s excellent streak of soundtracks continues with its August 2014 release that commemorated the 50th anniversary of Mary Poppins, considered by many critics as one of Walt Disney’s greatest achievements. Its Oscar-winning song, “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and the other cheerful tunes and score are as ingrained in our minds as Julie Andrews‘ and Dick Van Dyke‘s unforgettable performances.

This new CD set remarkably integrates nearly every musical element of the film possible across three packed discs. The Legacy Collection: Mary Poppins is even sweeter than a spoonful of sugar.

Anniversaries signify dates of a celebratory nature. We reflect on the past and the importance of a milestone. In the Disney universe, certain years warrant attention for the amount of quality content produce and momentous occasions held. Some might argue 1989 was Disney’s biggest year, launching the “Disney renaissance” with the release of The Little Mermaid and also the opening of Disney’s fifth theme park (Disney-MGM Studios). Others would consider 1928 (the debut of Mickey Mouse), 1937 (the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), and 1955 (Disneyland’s opening) as equally significant. If we look into the future, 2015 may prove to be Disney’s most monumental year with new films from Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and even a few major releases from Disney itself.

But how can anyone forget or dismiss 1964? This was the definitive Disney year in multiple realms. The events that took place during this 12-month period forever altered the landscape of The Walt Disney Company. 50 years later, I reason that the Disney we treasure today would not exist without the turning points that occurred in 1964.

Mary Poppins
2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital | DVD/Digital l Instant
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber and Ed Wynn
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: Dec. 10, 2013

Mary Poppins, the winner of five Academy Awards, flies onto Disney Blu-ray for the first time ever in honor of its (premature) 50th anniversary and the forthcoming release of Saving Mr. Banks. But is the Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke musical practically perfect in every way? The film, yes. The Blu-ray release itself, only practically, as the less-than-perfect presentation and lack of copious new supplemental material have much to be desired.

Critics and everyday individuals alike regard Poppins as one of Walt Disney’s finest achievements – if not his finest piece of cinema – for what the movie represented back in 1964, and how it holds up today. The film, inspired by the P.L. Travers work, showcases how the family dynamic of an early 20th-century clan in London is transformed by the introduction of one very ideal, precise and magical nanny. The tale captured our imaginations, portraying an atmosphere where children could leap into sidewalk drawings and a fantastic woman could soar above the cityscape with an umbrella and carpetbag in tow. The scene, utterly delightful. The people, certainly relatable. The combo, undeniably winning. But what makes Mary Poppins work so well? Credit a combination of elements at play.

Saving Mr. Banks marks the debut of a Disney film where its founder, Walt Disney, is depicted as a character, and attendees at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, yesterday were among the first to watch scenes from the feature.

Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak, who play Richard and Robert Sherman, respectively, the brothers who wrote the songs to Mary Poppins, appeared at the Expo to share memories and footage.

The first scene showed Emma Thompson‘s P.L. Travers, the woman who wrote the book later adapted into the Mary Poppins film we all love, arriving at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, circa 1961.

The D23 Destination D event, held at the Disneyland Resort a few weeks ago, not only focused on the array of Disney animated features, but also on the musical acts who helped make those films even more memorable.

D23 brought back the winning act that won audiences at the 2011 D23 Expo (Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix). This first-class concert made me feel like a chimney sweep, “as lucky can be,” for experiencing this performance was “practically perfect in every way.”