‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Cast Tapped for Palm Springs Film Festival Honor

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The cast of “Mary Poppins Returns” has been selected for the Ensemble Performance Award by the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The honor will be presented at the festival’s Film Awards Gala on Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Cast members Emily Blunt, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Salah and Joel Dawson are expected to attend the event, where the award will be presented by the film’s director Rob Marshall. The festival, now in its 30th edition, runs from Jan. 3 to Jan. 14.

“‘ is a happy film, that re-creates the magic and adventure of the first film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In this outstanding sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family as they race to keep the bank’s executives from foreclosing on their home. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda lead an excellent ensemble cast that also includes Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury and many others.”

Past recipients of the Ensemble Performance Award include Best Picture winner “Argo,” as well as past Best Picture nominees “American Hustle,” “The Big Short,” “Hidden Figures,” “The Imitation Game” and “The Social Network.”

The film has been named one of the top 10 movies of the year by AFI and the National Board of Review. It’s received four Critics Choice nominations, four Golden Globe nominations and a SAG Award nomination for Blunt.