Mary Poppins
On 14 September 2015, Disney announced a new "Mary Poppins" film was to be made, with a new plot and new songs, although in P. L. Travers' final will, another movie version was not to be made according to her wishes. The film is directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee. Songs are composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who both received support from Richard Sherman, who, along with his late brother-collaborator Robert Sherman wrote the iconic song score of the original "Mary Poppins" film. The film is not a reboot or remake of the original 1964 film; in this film Mary Poppins revisits the now-adult Banks children from the first film and takes charge of the three children of Michael Banks. It is loosely based on the other seven "Mary Poppins" books by Travers, and expands beyond them. Emily Blunt stars as Mary Poppins, alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in the role of Jack, a similar character to Dick Van Dyke's "Bert" from the first film. It was announced on 31 May 2016 that the film would be titled "Mary Poppins Returns" and would take place in Depression-era London, 25 years after the events of the original film. Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw play grown-up Jane and Michael Banks. The release date was 21 December 2018 in the US and the UK.
Sister Suffragette
"Sister Suffragette"'s melody was borrowed from an earlier song entitled "Practically Perfect", which had already been deleted from the 1964 film production. According to the songwriters in their autobigraphical book, "Walt's Time", actress Glynis Johns thought she was being offered the title role of "Mary Poppins" when in fact she had been signed to play "Mrs. Banks". To amplify Disney's and Johns' mutual embarrassment, the misunderstanding only became apparent as both parties sat opposite each other in Walt Disney's Burbank studio-lot office. Thinking quickly, Disney softened John's disappointment of not getting the film's title role by telling her of the 'terrific new song' which the Sherman Brothers had written especially for her. Disney called up the songwriters to tell them that he was "just about to take Johns to lunch and how she was looking forward to hearing the new song following the meal", all within earshot of the actress. The Sherman Brothers deciphered Disney's coded hint, worked feverishly through their own lunch hour, and wrote "Sister Suffragette". For instance, the original lyric: