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Shogun Producer Wants to Turn Mary Poppins Into a ‘Complex’ TV Series?
Shogun producer Tom Winchester is developing a new television adaptation of Mary Poppins based on P.L. Travers's original novels, departing from Disney's famous musical interpretations. This project follows the poor reception of 2018's Mary Poppins Returns and represents a return to the source material, which portrayed the character quite differently from the whimsical version audiences know. The series promises to explore the darker, more complex elements of Travers's creation.
Winchester has optioned the rights to all eight original Mary Poppins books from the Travers estate and is producing the show through Pure Fiction Television, backed by See-Saw Films and British agency Hamilton Hodell. The project remains in early development whilst Winchester approaches potential showrunners. The new series will emphasise Mary Poppins as a mysterious and even dangerous character, rather than the cheerful nanny of Disney's 1964 film. Although Winchester already possesses the necessary rights independently, he is reportedly in talks with Disney about the company's possible involvement.
In short
- Shogun producer developing Mary Poppins series based on original novels rather than Disney versions
- New adaptation will emphasise darker, more complex elements from P.L. Travers's books
- Early development stage; Winchester holds rights and is discussing potential Disney involvement
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The argument for adapting P.L. Travers's original novels is that they represent a richer, more complex artistic work deserving serious dramatic treatment. Travers herself was frustrated with Disney's sanitisation of her character, whose mysterious, morally ambiguous nature and subtle wisdom made her compelling in the books. A sophisticated adaptation exploring Mary Poppins as an enigmatic, potentially dangerous figure could appeal to adult audiences and prestige television viewers, much as Game of Thrones adapted fantasy literature for mature audiences, honouring the source material's artistic integrity rather than defaulting to the beloved but simplified Disney interpretation.
The case against
The case against reimagining Mary Poppins as dark and complex rests on the simple fact that audiences cherish her as a figure of gentle magic and whimsy—the Disney films have defined the character for generations and remain beloved worldwide. Departing radically from this beloved characterisation risks alienating family audiences who come for wonder and warmth, and may come across as unnecessarily grim or cynical. There is substantial doubt whether audiences genuinely want a darker deconstruction of this particular character when the existing versions are so culturally embedded and emotionally resonant.
Explained simply
P.L. Travers wrote eight Mary Poppins books, beginning in 1934. They centre on a mysterious nanny who arrives to care for the Banks children; Disney’s 1964 film made the character widely known as a cheerful figure in a musical story.
Tom Winchester is a television producer developing a series based on Travers’s novels. He has secured rights to the books through the Travers estate and is making the project with Pure Fiction Television, backed by See-Saw Films and Hamilton Hodell.
The books and the Disney films offer different versions of Mary Poppins, so a new adaptation could draw on parts of the character less familiar to viewers. The project is at an early stage, and Disney’s possible involvement is still being discussed.