This past holiday season at the box office was a fascinating one, as the schedule switched it up, and Disney moved to not release a new Star Wars installment for the first December in three years. This opened up the door for movies like Aquaman do make tons of money at the box office, although Disney still put out a big release with Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns.
A direct sequel to the beloved 1964 original, Mary Poppins Returns followed up on the Banks children in their adulthood, with a new set of actors playing the iconic characters. Chief among them was Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt, who took on the title role from Julie Andrews. Emily Blunt's Mary was almost an adrenaline junky in her adventures with the children, and now a quick clip shows how one of those magical moments happened: Mary's entrance into the bathtub during "Can You Imagine That?" Check it out below
How cool is this? While some fans assumed that CGI or other types of movie magic were used in Mary's underwater entrance, but it turns out that something far more practical was used: a slide, and a bit of bravery by Emily Blunt.
This brief Mary Poppins Returns clip comes to us from Twitter user Cafe Fantasia, who got access to a behind-the-scenes segment for the recent release. It showed the leap of faith Emily Blunt while filming "Can You Imagine That", falling backward down the slide attached to the Banks family tub. It's a truly magical moment of the film, one that actually closed the first trailer when it was released ahead of Mary Poppins Returns' run in theaters.
Because of the decades between Mary Poppins and its new sequel, filmmaking possibilities and technology have taken quite a few steps forward. As such, Disney fans and casual moviegoers were eager to see how Mary's magic was translated onto film for Mary Poppins Returns. And rather than simply handling it all through CGI, director Rob Marshall and his team included plenty of practical affects, including the magic of Mary's entrance in the film's underwater musical moment.
Rob Marshall has made it clear that the original Mary Poppins had a special place in his heart, and that the crew of his sequel were required to have similar reverence for that Oscar winning classic. While honoring the 1964 original, Marshall ultimately plied many of the same tools and tricks when bringing Mary Poppins Returns to theaters. This included the use of practical affects, as well as bringing the animators the original film out from retirement in order to bring songs like "Royal Doulton Music Hall" and "Cover Is Not The Book" to life.
The efforts made to make Mary Poppins Returns a success seem to have paid off, as the musical sequel has made out like gangbusters is in theaters, while also being met with critical success. Rob Marshall's movie even earned an impressive four Golden Globe Nominations, with all eyes looking to if/how the Oscars will recognize the Mary Poppins Returns.
Mary Poppins Returns is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.
