Dick Van Dyke confirms an appearance in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ says Angela Lansbury has a role as well

While Mary Poppins Returns will feature a brand-new cast, one star of the original classic film will be back as Dick Van Dyke has confirmed he will return for the new film.

During an expose on actors over 90, Van Dyke talked with THR about working on the original.

“There was a spirit about that thing from the very beginning,” he said. “Walt [Disney] had me in, and I heard the score and saw the scenes storyboarded on a wall, and I just knew.”

In the 1964 original, Van Dyke played Bert, the chimney sweep with an atrocious Cockney accent. Mary Poppins Returns will be set in the future and Van Dyke sounds excited.

“This one supposedly takes place 20 years later and the kids are all grown up. It’s a great cast — Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and that guy [Lin-Manuel Miranda] from Hamilton.”

Emily Blunt steps into some big shoes to play the title role with Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer cast as the Banks children. Streep plays Topsy, Mary Poppins’ cousin, and Colin Firth was recently cast as William Weatherall Wilkins, president of the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is playing Mary’s new buddy Jack, as the amazing nanny returns when Michael’s children are rocked by a tragedy. Slash Film notes that “Poppins returns to help the Bankses rediscover joy and adventure in their lives. While the first Mary Poppins was based on the first of P.L. Travers‘ eight books about the magical nanny, Mary Poppins Returns will take inspiration from the other installments.”

Van Dyke’s comments are the first word of Lansbury being part of the cast.

Mary Poppins Returns is in theaters December 25, 2018.

“Mary Poppins Retuns”