“Mary Poppins Returns” will receive the Ensemble Performance Award at the 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, the festival announced on Friday.
Stars Emily Blunt, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Salah and Joel Dawson are expected to accept the award at the festival, which will be hosted by Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight. The award will be presented to the cast by the film’s director Rob Marshall.
Academy Award-winner “Argo” and Academy Award nominees “American Hustle,” “The Big Short,” and “The Social Network” are past honorees of the ensemble award.
“Mary Poppins Returns is a happy film, that re-creates the magic and adventure of the first film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner in a statement. “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.”
“Mary Poppins Returns” is an original musical from director Marshall, which continues the story of the practically-perfect nanny and the Banks family. In the film, Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) have grown up, Michael has three children of his own, and his wife has recently passed away. Blunt stars as Mary Poppins, who returns to help the grieving Banks family move past their terrible loss and find the joy and wonder missing from their lives. Miranda plays Mary’s friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light — and life — to the streets of London.
The follow-up to the 1964 classic starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke has also been nominated for four Golden Globes and nine Critics Choice Awards.
“Mary Poppins” joins Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma) and Olivia Coleman (“The Favourite”) as announced honorees at this year’s Palm Springs festival.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will run Jan. 3-14.