Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda Will Star Opposite Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins

It's official! Tony, Pulitzer, Emmy and Grammy winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will star alongside Emily Blunt in Disney’s new Mary Poppins. The Wrap writes that the Hamilton star and creator is now confirmed for the previously reported project, where he will play Jack, a lamplighter (not Bert, famously played by Dick Van Dyke).

Before you picture Miranda singing/rapping “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” keep in mind: the new film will not be a direct remake of the 1964 Julie Andrews movie. Instead, the new Poppins will focus on the other tales in author P.L. Travers’ 1934-1988 children’s book series and is considered a sequel to the original.

Rob Marshall, who helmed the recent big-screen adaptation of Into the Woods, is on board to direct. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the team behind Hairspray, Smash’s Bombshell and the Broadway-bound Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, will compose a new score and original songs. This is the third Disney project for Miranda, who penned a number for Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Force Awakens and wrote songs for Disney’s upcoming Moana.