Emily Blunt to Star With Dwayne Johnson in Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’

According to sources talking to VarietyEmily Blunt is scheduled to co-star with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise.”

The film is based on the classic theme park attraction, which operates in  Disney Parks around the world and takes guests on a guided tour through the rivers of the world.

According to sources, Jaume Collet-Serra (Reverie, The Commuter, The Shallows) is on board to direct the film. Oscar nominee Michael Green (“Logan”) wrote the most recent draft of the script. He rewrote a screenplay by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.

When talking to Disney about this movie, sources say Disney sees the film as another major franchise in the vein of its billion dollar “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

Sources say Disney has been overjoyed with early footage of Blunt in “Mary Poppins” returns and that they are looking for a way to keep her in the family with another potential franchise.

I’ll admit I’m somewhat excited about the potential of this movie, but since it’s really early I’m not too excited…yet.  This announcement gives me some hope because this movie has another bankable, well-known star set for it. With this star power maybe, just maybe, there will be enough money spent on this movie to produce a quality picture that all of us can get excited about seeing.

Angela Lansbury Joins Cast of ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

In practically perfect news, Disney Legend Angela Lansbury has joined the cast of Mary Poppins Returns! The sequel to Walt Disney’s 1964 classic is currently filming at the Shepperton Studios in London and stars Emily Blunt (Into the Woods) as the title character. Lin-Manuel Miranda, an Oscar® nominee for penning Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go,” plays the role of optimistic street lamplighter Jack. Lansbury will play the role of Balloon Lady.

Lansbury is beloved to Disney fans for her iconic roles as the wonderfully witchy Ms. Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the enchanting Mrs. Potts in the animated Beauty and the Beast. The five-time Tony® Award winner and three time Academy Award® nominees was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1995.

Directed by Rob Marshall (Into the Woods), Mary Poppins Returns also stars Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer as grown up Michael and Jane Banks, as well as Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Julie Walters.

Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Gets December 2018 Release Date

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Disney on Monday announced that its Mary Poppins sequel will open on Dec. 25, 2018, more than five decades after the 1964 classic film first played in theaters. The studio also revealed the movie’s title for the first time: Mary Poppins Returns.

The musical stars Emily Blunt as the magical nanny opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton.

Rob Marshall is directing Mary Poppins Returns from an adapted script by David Magee, as well as producing alongside Marc Platt and John DeLuca. Marc Shaiman is composing an all new-score, while he and Scott Wittman are collaborating in writing the original songs.

The character of Mary Poppins was first introduced to the world in P.L. Travers’ 1934 book, which Disney adapted into the 1964 movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Travers wrote seven additional books about Mary Poppins that were published between 1935 and 1988.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen,” Marshall said in a statement. “The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation.”

The story will be set in Depression-era London, where a now grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by their former nanny following a tragedy in the family that leaves them numb and joyless.

Miranda will play the role of Jack the lamplighter, a new character. He is fast becoming part of the studio fold, having composed the music for Disney’s upcoming animated film Moana and worked on the music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

From The Hollywood Reporter

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