Mary Poppins May Return to Screen in a Very Different Form From Disney’s Films
A live-action Mary Poppins TV series is in development, drawing from P.L. Travers’ books and not necessarily requiring Disney’s involvement.
Mary Poppins could be heading back to live action, but this version is being shaped around the original books rather than Disney’s familiar film take. The project is in development now, with no showrunner or release timing confirmed.
A new live-action Mary Poppins television series is being developed and produced by Tom Winchester through Pure Fiction Television, his independent company backed by See-Saw Films and the U.K. agency Hamilton Hodell.
What changes here is the source material. Instead of extending Disney’s screen version, the series is being developed on behalf of the trustees of the P.L. Travers estate as a closer adaptation of Travers’ novels. That could mean a Mary Poppins who differs from the best-known screen image created by Julie Andrews in Disney’s 1964 film. In the books, the character is described as sterner and more vain.
The books also give the project room to grow. Travers wrote eight Mary Poppins novels, offering multiple story possibilities if the series moves forward.
Disney is not confirmed as part of the production. From a rights standpoint, the studio does not have to be involved, although early discussions are underway about bringing Disney into the project because of its long connection to the property.
The series is still at an early stage. Winchester is sounding out potential showrunners, but no creative lead has been locked in.
For Disney fans, the development is notable because Mary Poppins remains closely tied to the company on screen. Travers’ difficult relationship with Walt Disney later became the subject of Saving Mr. Banks in 2013, with Emma Thompson playing the author and Tom Hanks playing Disney. Disney also returned to the character in 2018 with Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt.
