Mary Poppins live-action series in development

A new live-action Mary Poppins television series is in development, aiming to provide a faithful adaptation of P. L. Travers’ original eight novels. Unlike the sanitized and musical versions popularized by Disney, this project intends to explore the darker, more surreal, and mysterious elements of the source material.

Tom Winchester is developing and producing the series through Pure Fiction Television, which is supported by See-Saw Films and the Hamilton Hodell talent agency. Winchester, known for his work on ‘Shōgun’, has optioned the rights directly from the trustees of the P. L. Travers estate.

While Disney has a long-standing relationship with the franchise, including the 1964 film and the 2018 sequel, the studio is not currently officially involved in the project. However, early-stage discussions are reportedly underway to determine if Disney will participate. Because the rights were acquired from the Travers estate, Disney’s approval is not required for the series to proceed.