Our final screening of 2018 was the magical Mary Poppins Returns, and we were lucky enough to hear from director Rob Marshall in a Q&A after the film.
Rob Marshall spoke to Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) about the pressue of working with such a beloved character, casting the film and using hand-drawn animation. Catch up with all the live-tweets below.
We’re excited for our special festive member screening of #MaryPoppinsReturns, followed by a Q&A with the wonderful Rob Marshall! Follow #DUKPoppins for the live tweets after the screening. pic.twitter.com/ZO9o1E2SXg
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
We’ve just been treated to a wonderful screening of Mary Poppins Returns - and now it’s time for the Q&A! Rob Marshall will be in conversation Ol Parker. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Ol asks Rob how the material first came to him #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Rob: I think after Saving Mr Banks the Travers estate were more open to the idea of a new Mary Poppins film. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Obviously it was really daunting - Mary Poppins was the first film I saw as a child. But I thought if there was to be a new Mary Poppins film I wanted to be the one to do it. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
When you read Travers’ books you get a real sense of the Great Depression, of the banks closing down, that leapt out as something to explore. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Ol says that he worked with some cast on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again who had worked with Rob - and they all talked about how great it was to work with him. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Rob: The film is about holding on to wonder and joy, and the imagination of a child. We all need that injection of hope in today’s world. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
It’s really about the three children and Michael. Mary comes back for Michael, who is dealing with grief. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Mary doesn’t serve up easy solutions for anyone - she races ahead like a tornado, letting people sort things out for themselves. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
You’d think it would be the hardest decision in the world to cast Mary, but I had just worked with Emily (Blunt) and knew she could portray the beating heart of the character - she’s more than just a nanny. And she can sing, dance and is British! #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
#DUKPoppins pic.twitter.com/oPyy7AgKbB
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
It’s not a glamorous job being a screenwriter for musicals- your most fabulous wonderful moments are taken over by songs. You’re writing lead-up! #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
I storyboarded and did pre-vis for the bathtub sequence, and I had to choreograph it too. Even more complicated was the animated sequence, which is hand drawn. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
We had to actually take a lot of animators out of retirement for that sequence! New ones came along too because they were keen to learn this classic style. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Ol opens the floor to questions. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
A member asks about how Rob dealt with the pressure of taking on such a massive brand. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Rob: I didn’t let it get the better of me. I just made sure that everyone involved in the film was as passionate about Mary Poppins as I was. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
A member asks if there was a sequence that turned out differently to how Rob initially imagined. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Rob: The animated chase sequence - I couldn’t choreograph that, and when I went to see our animators and saw all the different elements coming together in a miraculous way, I felt like a kid! #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
And that’s a wrap! Thanks so much to Rob Marshall and Ol Parker for a fascinating Q&A! Thanks too to everyone who made it down. #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
Mary Poppins Returns is the perfect film for the holidays. Don’t miss it! #MaryPoppinsReturns #DUKPoppins
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 13, 2018
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