How Julie Andrews feels about Emily Blunt playing Mary Poppins

Julie Andrews (right) thinks Emily Blunt is perfect to play the part of Mary Poppins. Photos / AP, Supplied

Practically perfect in every way!

Beloved British actress Julie Andrews has given Emily Blunt her blessing to play Mary Poppins.

Andrews took home an Oscar for her phenomenal performance as the magical nanny in the classic 1964 film. Blunt, 33, knows she has very big shoes to fill.

"I feel a little more trepidation with this [character] because she's so emblematic of people's nostalgia," she tells Entertainment Weekly. "It's such an important character in people's childhood."

Julie Andrews as the original Mary Poppins.

But lucky for Blunt, the 80-year-old Sound of Music star is in her corner.

The Devil Wears Prada star says she received positive feedback from Andrews, via Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall.

"Rob said he was in the Hamptons, and he saw [Andrews], and he said, 'It's top secret, but Emily Blunt's paying Mary Poppins'," Blunt says.

"And she went, 'Oh, wonderful!' I felt like I wanted to cry. It was lovely to get her stamp of approval. That took the edge off it, for sure."

However, the Sicario star says fans of the original might be surprised by her different spin on the character, first created by author P.L. Travers.

"We're delving into the books a lot more, which is a different version of the character, I'll say that much," she said, adding: "She's a little meaner, yeah."

Blunt will reportedly star alongside Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda who will play Jack.

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

US Weekly reports Meryl Streep is also in talks to join the new movie, set to be released in 2018.

The original Mary Poppins film starred Andrews as Poppins and Dick Van Dyke as happy-go-lucky chimney sweep Bert, and is still a much-loved family classic more than 50 years after it was released.

The new film, to be produced by John DeLuca and Marc Platt, will take place in London, 20 years after the first film and will focus on the nanny's continued adventures with the Banks family.