Mary Poppins Returns flies into theaters on Dec. 19, but will you be able to catch the sure to be an instant classic family film in IMAX and 3D?
With so many striking animation scenes and what are sure to be instant classic musical numbers, it would seem to make sense that Mary Poppins Returns is available in IMAX and 3D for the full cinematic experience. Alas, it’s not available in IMAX. And it won’t be available in 3D either.
On the one hand, it’s a real travesty that Mary Poppins Returns won’t be available in IMAX and 3D because the visuals of the film will be absolutely amazing, and to see the movie come to life in such a vibrant cinematic experience would be a lot of fun. It would definitely enhance the movie in a way that was never possible until recently.
On the other hand, though, the movie hearkens back to the original animation style of the 1964 original film. The 2D drawings, done by hand, are what made the original the classic that it has become. Having actors interacting with animated characters was one of the most memorable features of Mary Poppins (who didn’t want to dance with penguins and take a carousel horse on a freestyle jaunt?) and it figures to play heavily in the new movie. In that vein, then, there’s an argument to keep things as they are.
IMAX and 3D technology have become standard in so many films these days, and that’s probably why the decision to not film Mary Poppins Returns with them in mind is so surprising. Disney used the technology for its most recent release, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and it uses them liberally for Marvel and Star Wars movies, so this was definitely a calculated decision to keep Mary Poppins Returns in a classic 2D format.
Though disappointing, it might be for the best. Classic animation and 3D technology don’t go together, and so in this case technique would be lost in favor of technology.
Mary Poppins Returns arrives in theaters on Dec. 19, 2018.