Some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site.
New Mary Poppins TV Series in Development Based on P.L. Travers Books
A new live-action television adaptation of Mary Poppins is currently in early development! However, instead of recreating the cheerful musical magic of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Disney’s iconic 1964 film, this project is returning to the literary roots of author P.L. Travers.
Producer Tom Winchester (Shōgun) is spearheading the development through Pure Fiction Television—an indie studio backed by See-Saw Films (Slow Horses, Heartstopper) and UK agency Hamilton Hodell. Winchester is working directly on behalf of the trustees of the P.L. Travers estate to bring a more faithful version of her original eight novels to the screen.
While moviegoers remember Mary Poppins as practically perfect, singing about a spoon full of sugar, P.L. Travers’ original literary character is famously no-nonsense, stern, vain, and far more mysterious.
The planned television series aims to dive deeper into the broader, surreal, and occasionally eerie universe created across Travers’ eight books. Audiences can expect stories that lean into complex, magical, and slightly frightening adventures that extend beyond the familiar walls of Cherry Tree Lane.
From a legal rights perspective, the production team optioned the rights straight from the P.L. Travers estate trustees, meaning Disney’s permission is not strictly required for the project to move forward. However, early discussions are reportedly underway with Disney regarding potential involvement, given the Mouse House’s storied history with the franchise.
Disney famously adapted the original books into the 1964 Oscar-winning classic, though Travers was openly critical of Walt Disney’s cheerful take on her character—a tumultuous creative relationship dramatized in the 2013 biographical film Saving Mr. Banks. Decades later, Disney revisited Cherry Tree Lane with 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt.
The project is still in its earliest pitch and development phases. Winchester is currently seeking a showrunner to steer the creative vision before pitching to potential platforms or networks.
Will this new series bring a fresh wave of magic to television?
